


Theo in the Whirlwood Episode 4: The Prince

by Mewd



Series: Theo in the Whirlwood [4]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Comedy, Fae & Fairies, Fantasy, Fauns & Satyrs, Forests, Humor, Spells & Enchantments, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 23,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27052327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mewd/pseuds/Mewd
Summary: Oboe brings a wayward prince to Theodore in the dead of night. The noble youth wants to escape the rule of his father to live a simple and common life of his own choosing. Theodore promises to help, but the prince is pursued by the Knight Detective and his men. He sends Oboe to hide the prince while he distracts the knights.But disaster strikes when the prince coerces Oboe to use forbidden magic to transform him into a bird. Theodore can do nothing when Oboe is captured and faces execution for her crime. Not wanting to lose his friend, Theodore has to find the prince and force him to return home to pardon her crime. Before he can, however, he is exposed in his scheme of helping the prince and is hunted by the Knight Detective.
Series: Theo in the Whirlwood [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665631
Kudos: 1





	1. Episode 4 Chapter 1

A tingle ran up Oboe's spine. She felt it before she saw it. Something electric, magnetic, something that stirred up feelings long buried. She twisted to look, sensing the source like needles in the air.

A human fought, flailing and pushing his way through the brush of Whirlwood. His cloak caught in a thicket and he tore it to get free. There was something strange about the human. He was filled with Fates. They called to her, shining like a beacon through the forest. There were more Fates than Oboe had seen in her whole life.

She shook herself. It was none of her business. She watched the human race by and noticed something else. Some sort of magic was chasing him. A beam of light snaked through the forest like a ghost and curled to follow the human as he disappeared from sight.

On the other end of the light was more humans. A whole herd of them. Their armor rattled as they marched, cracking tree branches and trampling the thicket as they went. They followed the light. Or they were, anyway, before it flickered and winked out all of a sudden.

"Devil damn it!" The human in front wore a fancy wide-brimmed hat. "The equipment is malfunctioning again! There's too much ambient interference!"

"We'll lose him at this rate," one of the other knights said.

"We won't let that happen," the hat human said. "Keep moving!"

Oboe popped out of hiding. "Hi!" She said. "Are you looking for someone? Do you need help?"

The humans turned to glare at her.

"Stay out of this, fairy!" The hat human said. "This is none of your concern!"

Oboe frowned as they marched past. There was no need to be so rude. She watched them go and wondered what was going on. It was weird for so many humans to come this far into the Whirlwood. Not that it mattered. The human was right. There was absolutely no reason for her to get involved.

She turned into a bird to follow them. It wasn't hard to find the human the knights were searching for. Everything tingled in that direction. Oboe swooped down through the trees and found the hooded figure again. He leaned against an oak trying to catch his breath.

"You must hurry," said a raven perched in the branches. "They are coming."

"I know!" He was a teenaged boy, muddied with curly black hair. "How much farther?"

A knight erupted out from the brush, aiming a crossbow.

"There he is!" Someone shouted. "Grab him!"

"Run!" The raven said, taking flight. "Remember the plan! I'll meet you there!"

Crossbow bolts sliced through the air, cutting straight through the raven. She burst in a spray of black feathers. Oboe and the boy both gasped.

The big hat human strode out in front. "It's over Perceval. It's time to come home."

The youth stumbled to get away. "Help!" The knights closed in around him. "Anyone! Please!"

Oboe changed back to a faun and dropped to the ground in front of him. She reached out a hand to help him up.

"Don't touch him!" A knight shouted, rushing to reload his crossbow.

"Why?" Oboe said. "What's going on?"

The leader drew his sword. "This is royal business. Step away from the boy or I will be forced to slay you."

"Don't listen to him!" The boy pleaded. "They're trying to take me away!"

Oboe looked at the boy and the knight, and felt the choice was obvious. She grabbed the boy by the scruff, a shiver running through her whole body, and ran. A bolt whizzed by her head and planted itself in the trunk of a tree.

"It's got him!" A knight shouted. "After them!"

Oboe swung the boy into her arms and sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her. Her heart raced like she had robbed a bank. She scanned the trees for a way to escape and spotted a path the humans couldn't see. It was a fold in the Whirlwood. She darted between two trees, circled around and back through a second time.

There were shouts of "They're gone?!" and "fan out!" that echoed behind them. That wouldn't stop them, just buy some time.

"Thank you!" The boy said. "You saved me!"

"Not yet," Oboe said. "Hold on. I need to get you someplace safe."

The magic light trailed through the air, weaving through the trees to track them.

"I've got a signal!" The leader said. "After them!"


	2. Episode 4 Chapter 2

Theodore led the bard off the beaten trail, down a slope of stones to find the hut. It was made from trees, twined together to form an oval domed crowned with branches and leaves. The grass in the yard grew wild and bone chimes dangled overhead. Theodore reached to knock on the door.

Albert blew a frantic tune on his flute. The notes were quick, erratic and anxious.

"What?" Theodore said. "What's wrong?"

Albert gave him a frustrated look. His mouth opened but no words came out. He looked absurd standing out here in the woods wearing the bright motley of a musician. Putting his mouth back on the flute, he played a low and ominous melody.

"I know you're scared," Theodore said. "It'll be okay. We'll explain your situation to the crone and I'm sure she'll undo the enchantment."

He knocked on the door. "Fern?" Theodore called. "Fern Hardroot? Are you home?"

The door creaked inward. A plump, short old nymph with antlers leered at him from the other side. She had green skin, a shrub of ivy hair, and wore a threadbare robe with a faded crest.

"Who are you?!" She said. "What do you want?!"

"Theodore Grayweather, Ranger Deputy." He showed her his badge. "I need to sort out a problem between you and Albert here."

She looked at Albert. There was a brief flash of horrified recognition. "Never heard of him!" She tried to slam door but Theodore braced it open with his boot.

"Just a moment, please!" He said, fighting with her to keep the door open. "Albert tells me you put an enchantment on him." It took an exasperated game of charades at the Ranger Deputy station for Albert to explain all this. "An enchantment he doesn't want."

Fern tried her best to crush Theodore's foot in the door but wasn't strong enough. She gave up and let the door hang open.

"I don't see why that's MY problem," she said. "We made a deal!"

Albert puffed out barrage of shrill angry notes. Theodore held up a hand to calm him.

"You took away his voice. Do you expect me to believe this is a good deal?"

She rolled her eyes. "He wanted to be a great musician. I granted his wish. Now he can play any kind of music he wants."

"Yes." Theodore felt his patience straining. "But now he can't talk. The ONLY thing he can do is play music."

"Beautifully, might I point out?"

Albert stomped around the yard, tooting an ugly racket while glaring and pointing at her.

Theodore pinched the bridge of his nose. "Miss Hardroot, you can't just take away a basic bodily function like that! There are laws!"

"Well, there wasn't much to work with!" She said. "It's not like he's got any natural talent." There was a trill of protest from Albert. "Fairy Magic works best on folk who have potential, who are weighed down by Fates, the sort who can send ripples of change into the world. Since he hasn't got any of that the only way I stood to profit is by taking something away."

"Then you should have told him," Theodore said.

"I gave him fair warning!" Fern said.

"Was it a riddle?" He said. "A cryptic riddle delivered in rhyming verse?"

She smirked. "Nothing's as fair as a good riddle."

Theodore shook himself. "It's clear to me that Albert did not understand what he was agreeing to. I'm going to have to ask you to reverse the spell."

Her smile wilted. "No! He agreed! Voluntary enchantment is allowed by law."

"There's no consent if you deceived him," Theodore said.

"It’s not like I turned him into a toad! You can’t take this one from me! I need these Fates!!"

"If you won't undo the spell then I'll have to charge you with unlawful enchantment," Theodore said. "I can have the city watch come and haul you off so the matter can be settled in the Court."

Fern broke down. She slumped against the doorframe, crying and wailing so loud that Theodore felt bad. He tried to console her, but she batted his hand away.

"You don't understand!" She said. "But of course a human like you wouldn't. You don't need Fates. You never have to cast a single spell to keep going! You get a set lifespan and that's all there is to it! Tell me, is that supposed to be fair?"

Theodore knew more than she realized. After the incident with Duke Ambergrail he took it upon himself to learn about fairy magic. It was a type of magic that craved expression. Fairy creatures thrived by affecting growth and change on the world, and it was most potent when used to alter the course of lives.

"I don’t make dreams," Fern said. "I don't change the seasons. I don’t help plants grow. I was born to work enchantments on PEOPLE. You think that’s easy to do with all these laws getting in the way?!"

Every human had different Fates, different trajectories their life could take, and each could affect the lives of others. A fairy could grow in power by taking away Fates, by removing possibility and replacing it with a direction. That direction did not have to be good for the target of the enchantment. Even if magic wanted to do good, it could be misused.

"I'm sorry," Theodore said. "But the laws are there to protect people."

Fern steadied herself on the door. "Look at me. I haven't got much life left. I admit it, I tricked the human! But only out of desperation. Don't make me undo this! Please! I'll be one foot in the grave!"

"I can't make an exception on this," Theodore said, firm. "If you can't follow the law then you'll be labeled as wicked. I don't want that to happen to you"

Fern shoved herself off the door. "Fine!" She stormed over to Albert and slapped him across the back. There was a pop and a spark and albert dropped the flute.

"I can speak again! Oh, glorious day! Hooray!" He embraced Theodore. "I’ve learned that there is no replacement for hard work! I shall endeavor from here to become the world's greatest musician the natural way!"

Fern sneered. "Yeah. Good luck with that." She waddled back into her hut, mumbling a few colorful epithets about the human race before slamming the door.

Theodore escorted Albert back to the office, trying to hurry. Lifting the enchantment on the bard took far more time than he planned. He was behind on paperwork and that made him anxious.

When he arrived, he found the yard crowded with creatures. There were trolls and wolves, a gaggle of gnomes, a flock of geese, a few goblins, and a pulsating gelatinous cube.

"Where've you been??" A wolf said. "We've been waiting all morning!"

"Where's Oboe?" Theodore tried to spot her through the window. "She should've shown up by now to help."

"Well, she didn't!" A troll said, grinding his hulking knuckles in the dirt. "Not anybody's shown up at all!"

That was strange. She was late to work that morning but it was bizarre for her not to show up at all. She was always so eager to help. What happened to her?

"I'm next! Help me next!" A gnome said, only for the others to shove and wrestle to be the one in front. "No! Me first! Me!"

The troll swept the smaller creatures aside with his long arms. "Like hell! I've been waiting for hours!"

The geese swarmed past him, surrounding Theodore and pressing up against his knees. "Give us some visas!" "I want to go shopping!" "I want to apply for work!" "Help!!"

Albert stepped back as the whole mass of creatures crowded in around Theodore to plead and shout for his attention.

"It uh, it looks like you've got your hands full," Albert said. "I'll just show myself back to the city." He slipped away before Theodore could say goodbye.

The day wasn't half over and already Theodore felt overwhelmed. The longer he worked as Ranger Deputy the more work seemed to pile up. He grit his teeth. It didn't look like he would get to catch up on paperwork.

"Alright!" Theodore said, taking command. "Let's get organized! We're doing this one at a time!"

Just where the devil was his assistant?


	3. Episode 4 Chapter 3

"Tomorrow?!" The pooka's rabbit ears twitched in annoyance. She was fuzzy and short and had to stand on a chair to yell at him. "I came all the way from the Circle for this and you expect me to come back TOMMOROW?!"

Theodore tried to keep himself from slumping onto the desk in exhaustion. His work day dragged on into evening and now he was working by candlelight. "I can't renew a work permit without your visa and a proof of residency. You'll have to come back."

"I can't wait that long! My boss wanted this done yesterday!"

Theodore chose not to ask why she hadn't come sooner. "It will take the Bureaucracy Dome at least a week to mail the permit. Bring the forms first thing in the morning and I can give you an extension."

"That won't work!" She said, huffing. "If you aren't going to help me then I'm just going to have to tell them you refused to do your job!"

He groaned to himself. "Do whatever you have to." He got up to open the door to let her out. Outside there was one more creature waiting for help. A small frog who showed up late.

"Hey," the frog said. "You open?"

Theodore looked at the moon. "No."

"Okay, but real quick: I've been falsely accused of a murder. Can you help me?"

He stared. "Tomorrow." He locked the door shut and sighed. The endless work day left him miserable, and tomorrow he'd have to do it all over again. He climbed the stairs up to his room, changed clothes, and collapsed into bed.

He woke with a start. It was sometime later, and there was a noise downstairs. A hammering wooden thump, loud and fast. Someone was pounding on the door. Theodore stumbled out of bed, dizzy from sleep, and climbed down the stairs to answer it.

It was pitch dark, but he managed to find his spectacles and affix his Ranger Deputy badge to the front of his bed clothes. When he was ready to answer the door, the knock moved to the second-floor window.

Theodore groped his way back up the stairs and discovered a woodpecker pounding at the glass. He unlatched the lock. Before he could deliver a stern lecture on the importance of respecting business hours, the window burst open. The bird thrashed its way inside and, with a pop, changed into a goat woman that tumbled onto the floor.

"Oof!" She said.

"Oboe?" Theodore was alarmed to see his assistant at this hour. "Where have you been? You didn't show up for work today. Why are you making all this noise?"

"You wouldn’t answer the door, sleepy head!" She moved past him to stampede down the stairs.

Theodore followed to find her undoing the door locks. "What’s going on?" he said.

She flung open the door to reveal a wide-eyed youth in a muddied cloak. She ushered him in before locking the door tight again.

"A bunch of humans were chasing this younger one through the Whirlwood." She peeked through the curtains. "He was crying out for help, so I jumped in to save him! The humans were chasing us all day! We need to hide him!"

"You don’t know what this means to me." The young man was breathless and sweaty. He appeared around sixteen years old and was slight of build. His face was obscured by his hood and long curly black hair. He wore an expensive silk doublet under his cloak that was all but ruined by traipsing through the woods. "Thank you so much."

Theodore thought it was premature to thank him. There was more to this story. "Why were you being chased?"

The boy hesitated. Oboe stepped in to answer. "He wants to leave the city to start fresh! If we don’t help him, they're gonna force him to work a job he hates the rest of his life!!"

Someone pounded on a heavy fist on the front door and the young man jumped in fright. Oboe flicked her doe ears, feet apart, ready to brawl.

Theodore gestured for them to hide in the kitchen. He waited or a second round of knocking before answering the door.

Outside he found a dozen royal knights in full plate mail uniform standing in his yard. These were bodyguards of the king, men trusted to speak on his behalf. It would take a catastrophe to bring them this far out this late at night.

Theodore did not recognize the uniform of the man in front. He wore no armor, just a drake-skin leather coat. Strange tools and measuring instruments were strapped across his chest. His eyes were hidden beneath the brim of a cavalier's hat until he looked up with a piercing stare.

"Ranger Deputy. Pardon us for waking you at this deviled hour. We’ve an emergency."

"What’s going on?" Theodore shut the door behind him. "What are palace guardsmen doing out here?"

He pointed a badge. "Knight Detective Conrad Whitechain. There’s no time for pleasantries. The King’s son is missing."


	4. Episode 4 Chapter 4

Theodore’s eyes went wide. "The prince? Missing?!" He recalled the fine clothes of the youth in the cottage behind him.

"A fey creature captured him this afternoon. We’ve been tracking them in this direction, but lost sight of them. Have you seen anything?"

Questions burned in Theodore’s mind. Was that the prince? They thought Oboe was abducting him? There was no telling what would happen to Oboe if he played his hand.

"I’ve been asleep." This was technically true.

Conrad peered back at the moonlit wilderness. "These woods are strange and we’re stumbling in the dark. I need you to help us search before something happens."

If that was the prince, he need only throw open the door to end this crisis. It was his duty to comply with these men, yet there was more to this. He needed to stall for time.

"If you give me a moment to get dressed, I will help you search."

Conrad tilted his head. "Be swift."

Theodore retreated into the cottage, making a point to lock the door. He marched into the back room and yanked back the hood of his guest. The face was unmistakable.

"The royal guard is here to retrieve you, your grace," Theodore said.

Prince Perceval Stonewall pulled the hood back over his eyes and slipped under the kitchen table to hide. "I’m not here! Tell them I died! I fell into a deep pit! No, eaten alive! They’ll never find the body! Gruesome! Terrible!"

Theodore exchanged a glance with Oboe before bending down to the floor. "I’m the Ranger Deputy of the valley. A servant of the crown. I have a responsibility to return you to them."

"Well, I’m the prince! I command you to make them go away!"

Theodore shook his head. "You’re not the king yet. That’s not how this works."

"Theo!! You can’t!" Oboe squeezed under the table and wrapped her arms around the prince. "He told me so many awful things about his father! We have to help him!"

Theodore buried his face in his palm. "His father is our king!"

"So??" She stopped the prince from wriggling free. "That doesn’t make him a good father! Percy just wants to live his own life and he needs our help!"

He paused. He thought of his own father, champion of the nation, and the many times he'd dreamed of running away from him. He thought about Oboe and how any time he disregarded her instincts he came to regret it. He studied her pleading face and then stood.

"Wait here."

It took a hurried minute to put on his uniforms and boots. He stepped out into the night chill a second time. The royal knights were anxious to begin.

"I apologize for the wait." Theodore locked the cottage with a brass key. "Let's get started."


	5. Episode 4 Chapter 5

A fox scurried away from the clanking footfalls of the royal guard. Theodore led them through the darkened bends of the Whirlwood while the Knight Detective consulted a strange handheld device. He adjusted an array of knobs and the machine replied with whirs and clicks.

"Grayweather..." Conrad muttered. "Are you related to THAT Grayweather?"

Theodore did not need to guess who the detective meant. "Yes. He was my father."

Conrad slowed his pace, looking at Theodore with new and unearned respect.

"I had the honor of being trained by the Hero Champion," he said.

"You and everyone else." Theodore felt his skin crawl at this turn of conversation. "He liked to think he was a great teacher."

"He was more than that," Conrad said. "I owe a great deal to him. He was my inspiration to serve."

"I'm happy for you," Theodore said, wanting to roll his eyes. Whenever his father's name came up it was the same. People prattled on and on praising the Hero Champion while he stood there hating every moment of it. It was like walking on a splinter you could never get rid of. "I wish I could say the same, but the truth is I hated my father."

Conrad looked shocked. "Oh." He kept his stride. "I'm sorry to hear that." He turned his head to look for signs of their target. "You must have your reasons."

Theodore focused on the trail head of them. "It's fine." He regretted making this awkward. "He was better at being a hero than a father."

"I never would've guessed. He was always so warm with me."

"Oh?"

The detective was eager to talk about it. "I always wanted to become a knight but I was born too small. I was told to give up, but not by your father. Lance knew I could find a place of duty. He was certain anyone could."

"He was stubborn about that." Too stubborn. Perhaps Conrad would've made a better son. Theodore snuffed the flicker of anger and looked for something else to talk about. "What is that machine you are using?"

The Knight Detective twisted a dial and the device let out a crackling squelch. "It’s an aura tracker. It’s tuned to respond if the prince is nearby. If we can find his trail again, it will create a magical projection of the path he's taken."

Theodore decided to keep a wider berth from the cottage. "It’s not working?"

"We appear to be way off." He growled with irritation. "The ambient magic is interfering with the signal. Try taking us North."

They double backed. One of the guards tripped on a tree root and swore.

"This would be easier by lantern light," Theodore said.

Conrad shook his head. "The prince will be harder to catch if he sees us coming."

Theodore needed to feign ignorance. "You make it sound like he doesn’t want to be rescued."

"Of course he doesn’t!" One of the gruffer knights said. "It’s not like he was kidnapped. He ran off! Not the first time, either. Willful brat."

Theodore led them uphill. "I thought you said a fey creature abducted the prince."

Conrad shrugged. "If a lamb wanders into a den of wolves, do you blame the lamb or the wolves? The prince was warned. He is an influential human, the future of our kingdom. Lawful or not, there's no fairy alive who can resist a prize like him."

No fairy alive? Theodore stifled a laugh. He trusted Oboe with his life. Still, what would happen if the knight detective found out? "What do you plan to do when we find them?"

"We make an arrest. Failing that, we must slay the threat."

"Slay?!" Theodore balked. "The fairies here are citizens!"

The Knight Detective narrowed his eyes. "Do not forget that our first duty is to protect order in Laien. History books are filled with the meddling of the fey. They have caused kings to fall and usurpers to rise. Their magic profits in tipping the scales of society, in creating chaos."

Had the detective actually seen Oboe? "Do we know what creature we’re looking for?"

"Yes," Conrad said. "A doe faun. Based on the colors I'd wager it was a Fallow Summertail. She snatched him and ran before we could stop her. We've been playing cat and mouse since then. For all we know, she may have already enchanted the prince. It could account for why the trail has gone cold."

Theodore took another deliberate wrong turn. "What happens if we can’t find the prince?"

The Knight Detective kept his eyes forward. "It cannot come to that. If we lose the only heir to some fairy’s mischief, the whole kingdom stands to suffer. The Stonewall dynasty has been stable and fair. It is our duty to ensure it continues."


	6. Episode 4 Chapter 6

When dawn came, the Knight Detective had no choice but to admit defeat. Theodore was happy to bring the knights back to the city gates without misdirection.

"I will assemble a relief party to continue the search," Conrad said. "I am sorry to have wasted your time, Deputy. Go and get what rest you can."

Theodore hauled himself home, feeling bleary and empty. He fumbled with his keys to open his front door and stepped into a haze of smoke.

"What?" He said. Something was burning. He followed the choking smell to find the kitchen in disarray.

"Theo!" Oboe said, her hair crusted with batter. "I’m making pancakes!!"

She emptied a mixing bowl onto the table, and pounded a stiff lump of dough with a carpentry hammer. "…How do you make pancakes?"

Theodore sighed. "Where’s the prince?"

She led him upstairs. His Majesty was sprawled out across the bed, snoring. Theodore knelt down to nudge him. He woke with a gasp, flailing his arms and tumbling onto the floor.

"Where am I?!" He said, struggling to his feet.

"The Ranger Deputy office," Theodore said. "It’s safe. Nobody knows you’re here, but I think you owe me a full explanation." He tried to rub the fatigue from his eyes. "Come downstairs for breakfast. There is a lot we need to discuss."

It was not long before the prince joined them downstairs.

"Eggs?" Oboe was mystified watching him cook. "But they’re not supposed to taste like birds!"

Theodore ignored her. It was difficult to salvage the mess she created, but he made do. He transformed flour, egg, milk and sugar into a garnished plate of pancakes that he placed in front of their guest. Theodore dumped himself into the chair across from the prince and downed a scalding mouthful of black coffee. He needed to power through the day.

"You owe me an explanation" Theodore said. "Start from the beginning."

The prince frowned into his breakfast, curly bangs drooping over his eyes. He took a deep breath and nodded.

"...Ever since I turned thirteen, I've been miserable," Perceval said. "I'm firstborn, and worse, an only child. Father wants to be sure I'm ready to be king. He has every moment of every day scheduled for me. One tutor after another: Diplomacy, strategy, decorum, accounting, espionage, equestrianism, martial arts, ballroom dancing, foreign policy, history, engineering, metallurgy, art, magic theory, alchemy, and on and on from sun rise to sun set all day and every day.

Theodore watched the prince and listened. Oboe stuffed her face between them.

"It got worse when father’s health started to turn." Perceval prodded at his dish. "I’m expected to take the throne at a moment’s notice. Command the largest nation on the continent. You can’t imagine the pressure I'm under."

Couldn’t he? Theodore remembered how hard his own father pushed him. Lance tried everything to mold him into the perfect knight. The anger and frustration Theodore felt was still there. It hung in his heart, sharp and heavy and hardened by time.

He tried to think of something to say, something to talk sense into the prince and set him straight. He found himself mouthing the words others had said to him: "Many would give everything to be in your place. You should be grateful."

The young man pounded a fist into the table. "I never asked to be born a prince! I don’t want the whole world to be my problem! Mother's mercy. It isn't fair! That’s why I ran. I can't take it anymore!"

Theodore felt at odds with himself. "This affects a lot of people other than you. You can't just leave!"

"That's not fair!" Oboe said. "If he doesn't want to be king we shouldn't make him! He wants to be free and he should be. That's why I want to help him."

Theodore felt himself soften. What Oboe said was simple, maybe too simple, but it felt right. How many times had he tried to run from home and never gotten anywhere? How much farther would he have gotten if someone had helped him? If someone understood what he was going through?

This was ludicrous. This was not the same. Was he seriously considering helping the royal heir run away from home? He was loyal to the crown. His duty was to turn the boy in.

"Theo," Oboe said. "Percy is drowning in Fates. You can't see it, but it's like he has to carry a big stone and can't put it down. Humans get like this when life pulls them in different directions. It's the job of good fairies to take away that heaviness and put them on the right path. I think this is the right path for Percy."

Prince Perceval toyed with his uneaten meal, eyes down. "I know I’m causing trouble, but I’m serious about this. I don’t want to go back." He looked up. "I want to choose my own life."

Theodore covered his mouth. It was his own wish spoken back to him. Doubt was slipping away, but he clung to it. He needed to stay rational.

"Do you even have a long-term plan?" He stood, leaning over Perceval. "You won’t be able to stay in this kingdom. You could be recognized by anyone. You stand to give up all luxury. You will start over with nothing."

The prince looked him dead in the eye. "If that’s what it takes. I’ll escape to Feymire, or the Deepside Strait. I’d rather live free in squalor than go back. I would rather die."

Theodore paused to weigh the prince’s face. It was certain and resolute despite the cost.

"I will help you."


	7. Episode 4 Chapter 7

The first order of business was to get the prince out of his royal attire. Brocade silk was too valuable, it invited attention. Theodore's clothes fit Perceval poorly, he was not as tall or thin, but they would have to suffice.

"Thank you," Perceval said. "You don't know what your help means to me."

Theodore unrolled a map. "You'll want to keep your hood up. Any merchant from Laien will know your face. Once we get you to the trade roads, you'll be on your own. You should be able to pay your way to whatever country you want. I don't recommend Korveil, unless you like compulsory military service."

The prince pulled his leather gloves back on, which he had refused to discard. "I was told to head to the Western border of the valley."

"What?" Theodore planted his hand on the table. "Told by whom?

"The raven who helped me escape." The prince said this like it was obvious. "...She visited me when father had me locked in the tower. She got all the guards to go away so I could run. Told me she'd get me out of the country. The Knight Detective killed her, but her friends are supposed to help me."

Theodore raised an eyebrow. "Who was this bird? Why was she trying to help you?"

He was flustered by the questions. "She called herself Whisper. I think she was helping for the same reason you are. No one should have their life decided for them."

Theodore felt uneasy. The details were too sketchy. Sneaking into the palace was a feat, let alone fooling the King's Guard. Theodore suspected this strange bird and her 'friends' never had the prince's best interests at heart.

"Well, this plan of theirs does not make any sense. There's nothing to the West but the Farbend. A hundred miles of empty, cursed prairie land." He traced his finger along the map. "If you want civilization you have to take the trade roads, North or South, or else risk going through the capital to take a ferry."

"I can't go back to the city." The prince said, wringing his fingers. "They’ll be waiting and looking."

"Then we're going to the trade roads." Theodore folded the map up and stuffed it into the supply bag. He thrust the bundle into the Perceval's hands. "Better now than later."

Wasting no time, Theodore led the prince and Oboe out the door and through the curling trails of the Whirlwood. The hike was long and at first silent. When the tension faded, the conversation drifted toward the subject of fathers.

"Does the king list off all the relatives you're disappointing?" Theodore said.

"Yes!" Perceval said, exasperated. "It’s like he thinks my grandfather is going to pop out of his grave because I was caught slouching!"

Theodore laughed. "Right? Oh. But you know what’s worse? Is when they start a sentence with ‘No son of mine!"

The prince puffed out his chest. "My son? Too tired to study?" He huffed with mock bluster. "N-no! That’s not possible! No son of mine could be so weak!"

The impression was perfect. "Like we are supposed be mesmerized by every word of every lecture. Like we can’t we can’t be trusted to form an opinion about what interests us!"

"Of course not! Then all that work they put into planning our lives for us will have gone to waste!" The prince groaned into his hand with amusement. "I can’t believe Lance was just as bad!"

Oboe bolted out in front of them and stood straight. Her eyes were wide with alarm. "Shh! SHH!!" She flicked her doe ears. "Humans are coming!" She whispered, and hurried them back to take cover behind trees.

Theodore waited, and watched. "No one's coming."

"Keep quiet," she said. "Can't you hear them?"

Theodore saw them first, but only because he knew to look. Two military scouts crept through the wood in camouflage cloaks. Their gear was light, for mobility and stealth. They were members of the Knights of the Hunt. They stopped to survey the area with binoculars. Finding nothing, they moved on without a sound.

Once Theodore was sure they were alone again, he spoke. "I wasn't expecting another search party so soon. We should hurry."

They had a second close encounter before making it to the trade roads. Again, Oboe sensed the danger before they were spotted. Now Theodore knew how Oboe helped the prince elude Conrad for so long.

The trees cleared as they reached the edge of the Whirlwood. Theodore stopped dead in his tracks. The trade road was congested with merchant caravans coming and going, blocked by a checkpoint. The area was swarming with knights checking cargo and interrogating travelers. Even the railroad was halted for inspection.

"Damn," Perceval said. "I'll never get through without them finding me."

"You're right," Theodore said. The Royal Order had outdone themselves. The best route of escape was cut off with surprising speed.

"What do we do now?" Oboe said.

"Maybe I should go to the Western edge after all," Perceval said.

Theodore shook his head. "No. We're not taking a risk like that. Let's go back to the cottage and think this through."


	8. Episode 4 Chapter 8

Theodore let Oboe take the lead. She changed directions, doubled back, and led them down a careful winding path with no seeming rhyme or reason. Theodore was anxious the prince would be spotted but Oboe made sure they did not cross paths with any more knights. It was impressive.

When they reached the cottage meadow, Theodore bristled and yanked Perceval's hood down over his eyes.

"Hey!"

The office yard was crowded with creatures again. There was a troop of sweat covered fishmen, a mess of sylph, a pair of disgruntled looking werewolves, a napping black bear and more.

"Keep your face covered!" Theodore said. "A creature is liable to recognize you. Some of them read the newspaper!"

"Sorry."

"We have to be careful," Theodore said, stepping out into the meadow.

"Whoa, hey? Are you opening?" A Magpie fluttered down from the treetops and landed on Theodore’s shoulder. "Hi! I'm Pip! I need your help!"

Theodore shook the bird off and Oboe hurried the prince toward the office door. "The office is not open yet! Come back later."

The crowd stirred. Heads turned. A sylph stretched its wings. "Oh! Is the office open?"

"You’re late!" One of the werewolves waved a pocket watch in a clawed hand. "I haven't got all day!"

The bear rose with a yawn, shook the dew from its fur and padded toward him.

Theodore sucked in a sharp breath as the creatures moved to surround them. "No! We are not open yet! You can all go back to sleep!" He pushed his way through the lot of them, panicked.

"The door is open!" The werewolf said, pointing. "That means you're open!"

Theodore slipped inside after Oboe and Perceval. "It's closing now! Go away!" He locked it before they could argue. Door pounding and muffled shouts followed. Theodore leaned against the door and sighed. 

"What're we gonna do??" Oboe said. "There are all sorts of humans stomping around looking for Percy and now we have piles of work to do."

The prince peeled back his hood. "It’s fine. I can hide out here until the heat dies down. Go ahead and take care of your business."

"The office won't stay safe for long," Theodore said. "If they're tracking your aura it's only a matter of time before they check here again."

"Hey, your window's open." Pip the magpie peeked inside and hopped onto the kitchen window sill.

Theodore wrenched Perceval’s cowl back in place and marched into the kitchen "We still aren’t open! Please leave!"

The bird craned his head at the leftovers on the breakfast table. "Oh wow, pancakes and eggs. That’s cool. Hey, speaking of eggs, you think you can help me rescue my mine? They got stolen and I am TERRIFIED about their safety."

Theodore groaned. "This is not a good time!"

Perceval followed him into the kitchen. "What if Oboe stays with me? She did great avoiding the soldiers. She can make sure I don’t get spotted while you do your job."

Oboe stepped back. "N-no. I don't think that's a good idea."

The black bear climbed into the window frame from outside, pushing Pip onto the floor. "Is this like a service window? Hi. I need service."

Theodore slapped his face. "Can this wait?"

"I don't think so? Knothole Grove is on fire. That should be urgent, right?"

Theodore's knees buckled. "What?! For how long?!"

The bear shrugged. "Since before the sun came up. I don't know. I’m a bear! You’re the species that measures time."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

"Well, the office has been closed," the bear said. "Not sure what I was supposed to do."

Oboe glanced between the bear and the prince. "This is bad! You can't be everywhere at once!"

"I don't have to be," Theodore said. The prince had the right idea. He took hold of Oboe by the shoulders. "I need you to look after him while I take care of this backlog. We don’t know how long they'll be searching for him, but you've shown you can outsmart them."

"Me??" Oboe said. "You can't leave the prince alone with me that long! I'm a fairy too! What if I enchant him?"

Theodore raised an eyebrow at her. He had only ever seen her use her powers to transform herself. As far as he knew, she had never used magic on anyone else. "You've done fine until now. Why is this a problem?"

She clawed at her fingers. "W-well, I don’t HAVE to enchant anyone. I magic myself to survive. But..." She gestured towards the prince's leftovers. "It’s like if you’re real hungry, and you’re hanging out with the tastiest pancakes in the world all day. You don’t have to eat them, you can promise not to eat them, but just seeing them makes you hungry. It’s not safe."

"You're being ridiculous," Theodore said. "I know you. You’re helping Perceval out the goodness of your heart. There isn't anyone I trust more."

She covered her face, a blush on the tips of her ears. "Really?"

There was still the problem of that aura tracking machine the knight detective had. "Take him to Crookhole Mine. The magic ore should stop them from locating you. If a patrol swings by, move him somewhere else. Make sure he doesn’t get caught or lost and stop any other fairies from finding him."

"I don't mean to interrupt," the black bear said. "But the grove isn't getting any less on fire."

Pip fluttered onto Theodore's soldier. "Yeah! And maybe you can help me about my eggs afterwards."

"I've got to go, Oboe." Theodore opened the door and the creatures outside started shoving and shouting for help. "I'm counting on you."

"I don’t—"

He shut the door before anyone else saw the prince. Every creature in the yard was shouting for his attention. He straightened his tie, and got to work.


	9. Episode 4 Chapter 9

Oboe crouched at the mouth of the cave, keeping watch through Theo's binoculars. It was quiet outside but she could not let her guard down. She needed to focus. She needed to not think about anything else. Theo was counting on her to protect Percy.

Something moved. Oboe stiffened and then launched forward. She transformed into a snarling wolf and chased off the suspicious looking squirrel skulking around outside. The perimeter was secure thanks to her vigilance.

Percy paced deeper inside the mine. He grew antsier with each passing hour. They brought a bunch of Theo's books to pass the time but the prince found them all very boring. Oboe didn't blame him. Technical manuals, rulebooks, and textbooks. What was the point if there wasn't even a story or pictures?

"How long are we going to stay here?" Percy said.

"I dunno," Oboe said. She scratched herself with a hind leg before popping back to faun form. "Until it's safe."

He scowled. "That could take weeks. Maybe months! You don't know Conrad like I do. He doesn't just stop." He pulled another wedge of cheese from the supply bag and chewed. "Maybe this was a mistake. Whisper had a plan to get me out of the valley. We should be looking for her."

"Theo has a plan too!" Oboe said. "We should stick to it! He's smart!"

Percy sat cross legged on the cave floor and grimaced. "I ran because I felt trapped. Now I'm even more trapped than before. I wish I could just... go. I'm sick of it here. I'm always a problem everyone else has to worry about. I wish I could change. I'd rather be someone, anyone else."

A shiver ran down Oboe's spine. It was getting hard to ignore the Fates swirling off the prince. They filled the cave like the scent of baking bread and left her tense with craving.

She shook herself. Looking away, she shoved the binoculars back in her face. She needed to stay focused. This is why Theo should've watched the price instead.

It was easy enough yesterday to push the hunger from her mind. She had plenty of practice. But this was more fates than she had ever tasted before. Now the excitement of the escape had faded. Now she had time and quiet to think about how long it'd been since she last used her magic on someone other than herself. Now, after years of fasting, she was stuck guarding a banquet. No one would miss one grape he platter. 

She pinched herself, hard. This wasn't about her, it was about Percy. He needed help and she wasn't going to take advantage of him. He was counting on her, and now Theo was counting on her too. She made a promise to grandmother and was going to keep it. She would not be weak.

"Oboe?"

Her fur stood on end. She shot a glare at him. He needed to stop talking. "What?"

"I'm gonna go for a walk."

She flung herself in front of the door, arms splayed. "Nuh uh! No way! No! There’s knights out there! You’ll get caught!"

He pouted. "I know that. I’m not a child! I’m just going stir crazy in here. I need some fresh air."

Oboe felt the same. Air sounded amazing.

"Theo told us to stay here," she said to remind him as much as herself.

"It would just be for a little bit." His smile was pleading. "I'll be careful."

Oboe held her breath. Her arms drooped. Peering down the mountain trail, she saw they were alone. "Okay," she said. "But I'm going with you."

This is a bad idea. This is a bad idea. This is a bad idea.

"Excellent." Percy stepped past her. "Let's go."


	10. Episode 4 Chapter 10

Oboe felt much better once they left the cave. The prince's Fate drenched aura still shimmered like a beacon, but the magic in the Whirlwood masked it. Made it bearable. It was a relief, but she couldn't relax enough to enjoy the walk. The search parties were still out there. She needed to stay sharp.

"Wait!" She said, staring at the prince. "Why aren't you wearing your hood??"

Percy looked embarrassed. "I forgot it back at the office."

"But you need it! Someone might see you!" Oboe said.

"I wasn't thinking," he said. "It's too hot to wear during the day."

Theo would be mad when he found it. Now they had to be double extra careful. She looked for a bird to ask how things looked from the sky.

"Humans? Yeah. Yeah." The starling bobbed on her branch. "There's a bunch snoopin' around to the South of here. You'll steer clear if you keep to the Wander."

Oboe exhaled. "Thanks! Did you hear that Percy?"

She turned to find him gone and let out a yelp of panic. One quick glance and she could sense him up ahead. She flailed her way through a thorn thicket, burst through the other side, and tripped into a face plant.

"Oh. Oboe, there you are." Percy helped her to her feet. "Look! I found someone who wants to help us."

Oboe shook away her dizziness. She discovered that the prince was speaking to the venerable crone Fern in a secluded grove.

"That's right." Fern strained to keep her smile straight. "You can leave the young man with me. I've more than enough magic to ensure no one ever finds him."

Oboe saw the hunger in the old nymph's eyes. Impatience in how she clenched her hands. The crone was dangerous.

"We don't need your kind of help! Percy, we should go."

The crone darted between them and pushed Oboe away. "Keep your grubby hands off him, you wretch!" She drew out a ripe and perfect apple from her sleeve and offered it to the prince in trembling hands. It hummed, heavy with magic humans couldn't see. "One bite, your grace, and your life will never be the same. Quick, I hear the soldiers coming!"

"Percy, no! This is a trick! Don't listen to her!"

"Quiet!" Fern's face curled, furious. "You have no right! I won't have the boy wasted on an outcast like you!"

Oboe batted the apple out of her hand. Fern pounced and knocked Oboe to the ground, growling.

"How dare you!?" Fern tore at Oboe's mane. "Impudent little weed!! I'll kill you!"

The prince stepped back, alarmed. "Why are you fighting?! Stop this!"

"Excuse me." Oboe and Fern's fight was interrupted by a gnome crawling out from the thorn bush. He was rat faced, with scars, black quills, and wore mouse furs. "I couldn't help but overhear you all bickering in my yard. If you're fighting over the human, don't bother. I'm calling dibs."

Fern sneered. "Stay out of this, gnome! I outrank you as well!"

A unicorn stuck its head through a narrow pair of trees. "Can I get in on this?"

More voices were approaching. "We're getting close! This way!" A troop of sylph fluttered into the grove to join the growing crowd. This was bad. More and more fairies were homing in on the prince's location. Any one of them could be wicked and it would only take a touch to put a wicked spell on him.

Oboe shoved Fern and wriggled out from under her. "Percy! We need to get out of here!"

"No!" Fern said. "He's mine!"

"Hold on, hold on!" The gnome strolled into the center of the dispute. "Seems to me a lot of us are interested in enchanting this kid. No need for it get ugly. I say we let the free market decide."

"What are you suggesting?" Asked a pooka who only just showed up.

"Let's all tell the human what we have to offer, and let him decide who gets to magic him. Simple."

There was a general murmur of agreement. Oboe's hair bristled.

"No!!" She said. "You can't use your magic on him!"

"I don't think they mean any harm," Percy said. "I should at least hear them out."

There was too many of them. They were drawn to the Fates like moths were to flame. Someone was going to enchant the prince if she didn't protect him. "I need you to trust me!" Before the ravenous mob could object, she picked prince Percy up, tucked him under her arm, and ran.

Percy fought, trying to squirm out of her grip. She managed to get a good distance before he pulled himself free. She stumbled, winded, and looked back.

"What’s your problem?!" Percy stomped toward her. "Those fairies were offering to help me!"

Oboe tried to catch her breath. "Percy, you have to promise you won’t let any creature touch you! They’re trying to take advantage of you!"

Percy rolled his eyes. "Do you think I don’t know that? I'm not stupid! I've studied the fey. Did you stop to think that maybe this is what I want? I want my life to change! Being enchanted might be exactly the answer I'm looking for!"

"The boy has a point," someone said. Oboe looked down and realized the gnome was clinging to her ankle. She shook him off.

"The human wants to be enchanted, and any fairy with any sense stands to profit by helping him." He got to his feet. "Everyone benefits."

"What can you offer me?" Percy said.

"I'm Archie. I can grant wishes," he stuck out his hands and wriggled his fingers, "but each one comes with a tragic and ironic curse!"

Percy glanced back at Oboe. "Well, at least he's up front about it."

Oboe grabbed Archie and crammed him into a shrub. "This is what I'm talking about!! You need to be careful! A fairy might stick you with some wicked magic! You might get hurt! There's no telling what could happen!"

"What about you?" Percy said. "Aren’t you a fairy too?"

"The faun is no better." Fern appeared, trudging closer, casting a shadow over them. "She pretends to be pure, but she lies. She wants to enchant you, I can see it! She thinks to take you all for herself!"

Oboe wanted to argue, but she was scared the crone was right. There was a dark part of her that ached to do it. "Shut up!" She said. "I would never enchant him!"

Percy’s eyes lit up. "But you could." He stepped closer. "What can you do? What kind of magic could you use on me?"

Oboe shrank away, pressing clasped hands against her pounding heart. "N-no. There’s nothing. It doesn’t matter. I won’t."

Fern growled. "My lord, do not play this hussy's game. Come, let us talk of what I can do for you!"

"Oboe," Percy said. "What kind?"

She closed her eyes. "I… I was born with transformation magic. I can change myself and other creatures into animals."

Percy laughed. "Then that’s perfect! I don’t have to wait to escape my father! Just turn me into something else and they will never find me!"

"No!" Oboe felt like she was going to burst. "I can’t do that! Changing humans is illegal! I can’t ever do that again!"

"Why does it matter?" Percy said. "Helping me is already a crime. I know you’re worried someone will hurt me with magic, but..." He was a breath away from her face. "I know I can trust you. ...And you want to help me, right?"

Oboe’s vision was swimming. "Yes, but…" The Fates knotted around Percy were pulsing. There was so much of it, and it seemed to fill her every sense. It had been so long since she had transformed anything other than herself. Her body was screaming for her to do it.

"Then do it! I don't care about the law! I'm sick of being a prince! I want to be something, anything else!"

"Whoa, hold on!" Archie said, struggling to climb out of the shrub. "Maybe don’t commit to anything before you hear more about my offer!"

It was unbearable. Oboe slumped back against a tree and Percy took hold of her hand.

"Please."

"Wait!" Fern shouted. "No!"

Oboe tried to resist, but felt herself give in. A surge of magic, years of it all stopped up inside her, burst out of her in a wave of unbridled pleasure.

"No!" Oboe wailed. It was too late. The magic enveloped the prince in blinding light. "No, no, no, no, no!!"


	11. Episode 4 Chapter 11

The gross fishman threw his spear down in frustration. "What do you mean we can’t have a war?!" His name was Muck. He was the size of a boulder and the IQ of one too. The other fish people appointed him the leader on account of him being the biggest.

Theodore stood waist deep in Moss Tub Lake, wearing hip waders and trying his best to stay patient. "Civil war between citizen tribes is forbidden by the crown. Tell your men to stand down and desist with any further aggression."

Muck flared his neck-fins, sneering. "Why should we?!"

Theodore sighed. This ‘war’ had sparked when insults exchanged between the fish people and the trolls got out of hand. Now he was dealing with two tribes of petulant children.

"The long answer is that our society subscribes to the belief that all citizen species are entitled to life, and thus the government has set up a system of to punish citizens who threaten social stability. The short answer is zoning regulations. You’d be fighting too close to the capital."

A goldfish might've offered a more convincing look of comprehension.

"Killing is bad," Theodore said. "Don’t kill the trolls, even if they’re mean."

Muck looked at the trolls who were making mocking gestures from the far shoreline. "I would like to kill them, though."

Theodore placed a hand on the creature’s shoulder. "I know you do. But sometimes you just can’t get what you want."

Stroking his chin, Muck tried to wrap his head around this. "We’re really good at fighting. We can kill them anyway."

Theodore flipped open his citation booklet and began filling in numbers. "If you do, you’re looking at a very steep fine." He offered the slip for consideration.

Muck stood, contemplating the exact price of war. He glanced back at his ragtag army and bellowed. "Too expensive! War is canceled for now! Everyone! go home!"

There were shouts of disappointment among the ranks, but one by one they dived back into the depths of the lake. Muck turned around. "It will take some time to save up. We will let you know."

"Wonderful," Theodore said through clenched teeth. "Behave yourselves."

Theodore plodded towards the shore and saw yet more creatures waiting there for his help including the geese, a few sylph fairies, a griffin, even more gnomes, and a tree nymph. They assaulted him with requests before he had a chance to struggle out of his hip waders.

Tuning out the noise, Theodore allowed himself to feel how exhausted and sore he had become. He fantasized, just for a moment, about filing cabinets, midterm exams, and post-graduate dissertations. This work was so far from the life he'd planned for himself. He envied the prince, who would soon escape to a life of his choosing.

"Alright." Theodore broke himself from his revelry. Even if this wasn't what he planned, he still had a duty to perform. He took a deep breath. "Who’s next?"


	12. Episode 4 Chapter 12

The prince was gone. His body was swallowed by light and he burst free in the shape of a great hawk. His clothes fell away in a heap. Oboe was blinded with a joy that gave way to horror. She watched, speechless, as the prince took flight, disappearing into the folds of the Whirl.

"I knew it!" Fern said, shoving Oboe to the ground. "You greedy, selfish little brat! You took him for yourself!"

"No, I..." she was still muddled. None of this seemed real. "I didn't mean to... No!"

"Don't lie to me, you weedling! I saw the look on your face!" She spat. "Such rapture to twist his body with your magic. After all that rubbish about protecting the human you prove yourself wicked!"

Oboe didn't know what to do. Her euphoria had turned into a wrenching queasiness. She needed help. She needed to get Theo, tell him what happened. He would know what to do.

No, there was no way she could do that. He would be mad, or worse, disappointed. He had trusted her, something no one else had ever done. Everything was ruined. The humans forbade transmogrification magic. Theo might arrest her. Maybe he should. Only wicked fairies broke enchantment law.

"Say something!" Fern throttled Oboe, who was all but limp. "You think you can get away with this?! I NEEDED that enchantment and you stole it from me!"

"Let go of me!" Oboe said, pushing free. She rose on shaky knees. The crone gave Oboe a glare that left her feeling bare and hairless.

"I'll tell the humans what you did!" Fern said. "Transforming the heir into a hawk! They'll come for you! Take you away and chop your head off with an iron axe! That will show you to steal from me!"

Oboe did not know what to do. She transformed into a rabbit and darted away, running and running until she found a dark gully to hide in.

Her heart pounded. Everything was wrong. She could not stop crying. Turning into a worm helped because worms didn't have tear ducts.

How long would it take for the humans to find her? Would they really kill her? Fear squeezed her heart. Maybe Percy had the right idea. Escape. Disappear. Leave the Whilrwood and go where no one could find her. 

No. That wasn't right. She'd broken the law but that didn't mean she wanted be wicked. Oboe changed back into herself and got up. Theo needed to know what happened. She owed him that much. He'd know what to do, even if it meant she had to be executed.


	13. Episode 4 Chapter 13

Theodore gaped. "THESE are your eggs?"

The massive, man sized speckled eggs were lodged in a shallow mire of mud. Pip the magpie swooped to land on the one in front of him.

"Definitely, yeah. The missus lays them big. Guess they fell out of the nest and down the hill!"

Theodore massaged his brow. "How am I supposed to move these...? They're huge!"

"Roll 'em. Don't worry, they're tougher than you'd think."

Theodore pulled up his sleeves. He supposed there was nothing else to it. He marched out into the marsh and got to work. It took a great deal of slipping and grunting to dislodge them one by one onto solid ground. By the end of it he was sore, covered in mud, and worried about what else the Whirlwood creatures had in store for him.

"Thanks chief," Pip said. "I’ll get the wife to do the rest. I think you should see to that lady over there next."

Theodore wiped the sweat from his brow with a muddy arm. "Who are you-"

He saw Oboe. It took him a moment to realize because something was different. Her short nubby horns had grown thick and long, curling up back behind her head. She was taller too. Somehow her whole body had gotten bigger. But something was wrong. She was red-eyed from crying and looked miserable.

"Oboe?" He said. "Are you okay?"

She buried her face in her hands. "Theo, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I did it! I promised you I wouldn't and I did it anyway and now I don't know what to do! I'm sorry!!"

"What's going on? Why are you here? Where's Perceval?"

Theodore reached out, only to have her pull away. Pip took this as a cue to leave.

"I enchanted the prince!" She said. "He kept pushing me to do it and I broke down! I'm sorry!"

"What?!" He was beside himself. "How could you do that?!"

Fresh tears welled up. Oboe sobbed into her hands and Theodore felt ashamed for snapping at her.

"It's okay. It’s okay." It was not, but he moved close to soothe her. "Can you reverse it? Where is he?"

"I don't know!" Her breathing grew quick and shallow. "He turned into a bird and flew away! I don't know where he went! He could be anywhere!"

Theodore froze. He forced himself to think it through. "He wanted to escape anyway. Maybe this is okay? It's better that you enchanted him than someone who might have hurt him. He pressured you to do it, right? Perhaps this is how it should be."

"No!" Oboe yelled. "Theo, this is NOT okay! I broke a promise! I'm a wicked fairy! A criminal! My magic is against the law and I used it anyway! I have to fix this!"

He pressed a finger to his lips, worried some creature might hear. She was right. She'd broken the law. Anti-transmogrification laws stopped criminals and spies from eluding capture and made sure individuals were held accountable for breaking the law. If any other creature had done this Theodore would expect them to face judgement before the court Justice. But enchanting royalty was too grave a crime. Theodore was terrified of what would happen to Oboe.

"Alright," he said. "We'll fix it. We'll find the prince together. But we need to stay calm and come up with a plan. Can you show me where he flew off from?"

Oboe nodded, choking back a sob. She hurried off and he followed. Theodore prayed that work could wait long enough for him to find the prince.


	14. Episode 4 Chapter 14

Time was precious. There was no telling where the prince had gone but the longer they waited the greater the risk they wouldn't find him again. Theodore tried to keep up with Oboe as she rushed down the trail.

"I can't believe I did this," she said. "I promised grandmother I wouldn't. I promised! I'm terrible. Wicked! Awful and wicked! This is all my fault!"

"You're not wicked," Theodore repeated. Keeping her calm was the only thing keeping him calm. "We'll make it right. It's going to be okay."

She stopped. There was something in the middle of the road blocking their path. A strange, pointy iron sculpture covered in runes.

"What?" Oboe said. "What in the world is that thing?"

Theodore realized too late it was a trap. The runes lit up and the machine let out a high-pitched shriek. A translucent wall sprang up and formed around the clearing. A dome of gridded magic light closed over their heads, sealing them inside.

"It won't stop screaming!" Oboe said, plugging her ears.

Theodore spun, looking for a way out. He took a stone from the ground and tossed it into the barrier. The rock burst in a shower of sparks.

Knights charged out from hiding, drawn by the sound of the alarm. Each of the knights aimed a crossbow loaded with magic infused iron bolts. One shot from one of those could kill all but the most powerful of fairy.

"Turn it off!" Someone shouted, and the alarm faded. "What have we found?"

Knight Detective Conrad Whitechain marched onto the scene. He waved a runed baton in front of the barrier and a gap opened up for a moment, just wide enough for him to pass. 

"Ranger Deputy Grayweather...? And our target?" Conrad was startled to see them together. "What's going on here?"

Theodore itched with panic. They were in serious trouble. How could he explain this without incriminating them both? He wracked his brain, but before he could think of something Oboe spoke up.

"He caught me," she said. "The deputy was bringing me to you for punishment."

Theodore's eyes went wide. What was she doing?

"Is this true?" Conrad said. "You found the faun on your own?"

"I..." Theodore felt things spinning out of control. "She matched the description you gave me. I meant to bring her in for questioning. There's no evidence yet that she's the culprit. We should not jump to conclusions."

"No." Oboe said. "I used my magic on the prince. I turned him into a bird and he flew away. I'm the one you want."

Theodore wanted to scream at her to stop. It was too late. He couldn't say anything without making himself an accomplice.

"You admit this?" Conrad said, surprised. "Freely?"

"I did a bad thing," Oboe said, hanging her head. "What's the point in denying it?"

"I see," Conrad said. "Your contrition may yet save your life, faun. Surrender yourself to the crown's forces and there may be mercy."

Oboe held out her arms. Conrad clasped a pair of iron shackles around her wrists. He struck the machine with his baton and the barrier evaporated. The Knights of the Hunter took hold of Oboe. She looked back at Theodore and offered a wilting smile before they hauled her away.

"I'm impressed, Grayweather," Conrad said, as they both watched Oboe being marched off. "We received a tip that the faun was seen in this area, but you beat an entire search team to the punch."

"What will you do with her?" He was afraid of the answer.

"We will detain her for questioning. There will be a trial, and likely an execution, but if she discloses information leading to the prince being returned, we can bargain for a deferred sentence."

Theodore's voice dried up. What could he do? Conrad clasped a hand on his shoulder.

"Good work. You are living up to your family’s name. I shall see that you are rewarded."


	15. Episode 4 Chapter 15

The knights took Oboe away. They bound her with magic chains and marched her toward the city under heavy guard. Theodore watched, helpless, as he was left behind to stew. He had no idea how to find the prince and no idea how help Oboe.

He needed sleep. Instead he paced the cottage, sorting and resorting documents with shaking hands, and worried about his friend. The mercy Conrad promised meant little. Enchanting a member of the royal family was as bad as an assassination. At best, Oboe could hope to spend decades locked in the city dungeon. The thought made him feel lonelier than he expected. He had grown accustomed to her company.

Perceval's cloak sat in a crumpled heap on the floor. Theodore stuffed it into a desk drawer and locked it, grateful to spot it before anyone else. He wouldn't be able to help anyone if he was implicated.

Theodore needed to find the prince. A royal pardon was Oboe's best chance of surviving this. Maybe Perceval would come home if he knew Oboe's life was at stake. But how was Theodore supposed to find him? Oboe turned him into a bird and he didn't even think to ask what kind. There were thousands of birds in the Whirlwood and this one wouldn't want to be found.

If he could get inside the dungeon to talk to Oboe she could tell him where to start looking. That was a plan. He could do this. He just needed to stay calm and think things through.

There was a knock at the door. More needy creatures here to beg for help. Theodore growled and flung the door open. "I don't have time for you! Take care of your own problems and leave me alone!"

The messenger shielded himself with the scroll he was carrying. He wasn't expecting anyone to scream at him.

"Ah." Theodore was embarrassed. "I apologize."

There was no mistaking this man for a creature. He was dressed in puffy maroon pantaloons with matching epaulettes. The plumage off his hat dangled halfway to his waist and he carried a bugle horn. It was strange to see a royal messenger this far from the city. Normally everything came by courier bird.

"I didn't mean to yell," Theodore said. "I've been under a lot of stress."

"Yeah, that makes two of us now." The messenger smoothed out the scroll and handed it over. It was sealed with wax stamped with the sigil of a crown. Before Theodore could open it, the messenger cleared his throat to blow a brief fanfare on his horn.

"You are henceforth summoned to appear before the benevolent King Xavier Stonewall, ruler of all the lands of Laien, the divinely chosen by the Mother of Magic, and anointed steward of the earthly affairs of man, feral, ghast, and fey."

"Summoned?!" Theodore tore open the document to see. "Why? What could the king want with me? Have I done something wrong?" Had the king somehow learned of his involvement with the prince’s escape?

"I don’t write the decrees, I just deliver them." The messenger rubbed his nose. "If I were you, though, I wouldn’t sit on this too long. The big guy isn't known for his patience. May he reign eternal, et cetera."

The messenger sauntered off, leaving Theodore with the summons. The document was clear: He was to present himself to the palace immediately to stand before his king.


	16. Episode 4 Chapter 16

Theodore was horrified when he caught a glimpse of his reflection off a polished suit of armor. He was caked in mud, his hair was unkempt, and there were dark bags under his eyes. It was only after rushing all the way to the palace that he realized his appearance was a disaster. He'd been running nonstop for days and could not guess when he'd last bathed. Somehow, he was so addled and caffeinated that he failed to think about grooming himself until minutes before meeting the most powerful man on the continent.

Shame turned to desperation. He searched the antechamber for some way to avoid disgracing himself and his king. There was nothing but artisan furniture and windows overlooking sweeping views of the capital. He eyed an aquarium, and checking to be sure he was alone, wet his hands to try and wash the mud from his skin. The water left his fingers sticky and green with film.

The door opened. Theodore spun around with his hands up. A dignitary entered, dressed in the highest court fashion: All silk mantles, sashes, and dangling ribbons in bright clean burgundies. He stared at Theodore in rapt shock.

"Ah! Hello!" Theodore tried to wipe his hands off on his shirt, and left an enormous stain. "Er, you must be Chamberlain Greenveil." He thought better of offering his hand to shake. "I'm Ranger Deputy Grayweather, reporting as requested."

The chamberlain furrowed his brow, even more mortified than before. "Grayweather? Then... you're the son of—"

"Yes," Theodore said, annoyed. He retied his hair back, praying it was tidy enough to escape exile. "The King summoned me. Is it time for me to be seen or not?"

Greenveil composed himself. "His grace has finished his treatment. He will be ready to receive you momentarily." He gestured toward the door. "This way, if you would."

Theodore followed him down the ornate palace hallways, lined with historic portraiture of kings past. Dramatic scenes of hunting expeditions, pouring over maps of battlefields alongside advisors on the eve of battle, the heroic signing of new laws and decrees to renew order, and the ascension of heirs met by the bows of humans, ghast, fairy, and feral alike.

The Chamberlain ushered him into a side passage. Theodore expected to see the throne room, a grand and cavernous hall large enough to house the extended family of the entire royal court. Instead, he was surprised to find a small white room devoid of decoration. A crowd of healers in green robes hurried to clean the room, collecting soiled utensils, medicines bottles, and bloody rags.

The smell hit Theodore hardest. A mix of old age, sick, antiseptic, and spent magic. He moved through the bustle to find a hospital bed where a shriveled old man was lying in a paper gown. A pair of nurses were helping to maneuver him over a bedpan.

"Give him a moment," they said.

There was pained groans. Theodore meant to look away, but before he processed the moment he watched King Xavier Stonewall void his bowels.

It was the king. Theodore didn't believe it at first but there was no mistaking the face. His body was so small and frail though, nothing like how he looked in the paintings or newspapers. What hair remained were peppered wisps. He lacked the strength to move himself, so his attendants lifted him over, wiped him clean, and carried away the putrid mess.

"Better," the king said. He focused his light green eyes on Theodore. "I trust you will forgive that I do not stand or sit up. These rituals take what little strength I have left."

"Yes," Theodore managed to say. "Of course." He was stunned.

He dismissed the nurses. "Now then. To business."

Theodore realized he had forgotten himself again. This was his king. He dropped to his knees, ashamed of his lack of respect.

Xavier Stonewall let out an irritated grunt. "Stand up," he said. "You just watched me shit in a bed. Do not pretend otherwise."

Theodore reluctantly got back up. "You summoned me, your grace."

"I did. The Knight Detective had much to say about you. I suspect he might be smitten. Regardless, it is only right that I thank you personally for your role in apprehending the creature who laid a hand on my son."

Theodore was relieved to learn he had not been discovered. "I did only my duty," he said. The words tasted bitter. He deserved no praise. He aided the prince's escape and stood by while Oboe was captured.

"Normally there would be a ceremony," the King said. "But you can guess at why I've lost my taste for them."

Theodore looked over the Kings's emaciated body. "Is it a deficit of magic?" He wondered if this was the same illness he had seen at the university. "Dr. Stillwell has made breakthroughs with the epidemic."

"Young man, the only affliction of which I am suffering is the one for which there is no cure: Time."

Chamberlain Greenveil re-entered the room. Theodore was startled to see the man had acquired a black eye in the span of a few minutes. "Sire, the diplomats from Feymire are growing belligerent. They are insisting you hear their demands now."

The king sighed. "Summon the guard. We won't be bullied. They can wait a few more minutes."

Greenveil bowed and left. The King looked back at Theodore.

"Our neighbors hope to take what we have because they know my body is failing. Normally my son would handle this, but that is not possible for obvious reasons."

Theodore was confused. "Can't you delegate to your vassals?"

"I would, if I were certain of who was working with whom." The King flexed his fingers against the bed sheets. "Let me cut to the chase. I did not call you here for a pat on the back. My son is still out there, throwing his tantrum. If you are half the man your father was, I need you to drop whatever else you might be doing and locate Perceval. Your only duty, as of this moment, is to bring my son home."

Theodore wondered how the prince and Oboe would feel about this. Then, feeling ill, he worried Oboe may not even be around to be upset for much longer.

"The prince has been very difficult to locate," Theodore said. "He seems intent on escaping."

"Of course he is!" The King said. "I was the same damn way at his age." With some reserve of strength, he strained to lift himself onto his side. "What my brat needs to learn is that this isn't about what he wants. It is our lot in life to serve every man, woman, and beast in this country. We keep the plates spinning so the people living on them can take it for granted. I have tried my best to prepare him for this, but until he puts the needs of his citizenry before himself he will continue to play these games."

The King slumped back into his mattress. The door opened and a parade of royal knights entered, flanking the Feymire diplomats. They were dressed in their traditional flowing robes and were grinning ear-to-ear.

"Healthy and hearty, yes Xavier? Good to see you. It has been very long, eh?"

"You have your orders," the King said to Theodore. "Leave us. I've posturing to attend to."

Theodore was escorted out by a guard. As the door closed, he wondered how often diplomats came to visit with swords hanging off their belts.


	17. Episode 4 Chapter 17

There was a twist in the hallway Theodore did not remember. He tried to retrace his steps through the palace back to the entrance and became lost instead. The sprawl of corridors seemed only to grow in complexity as he hurried. Somehow, after a few more wrong turns, he found himself in surrounded by statues. He had wandered into a sunlit courtyard filled with marble figures of Laien's long history of rulers.

Theodore slowed to a halt, his heard pounding. He no longer knew what to do or which way to go. He promised to help Perceval escape but now the king was ordering him to retrieve him. No matter what he chose to do he was a traitor to somebody.

"Grayweather," a voice said.

Theodore looked up. A raven peered down at him from atop a statue's head. Sleek and black with a long sharp beak and sharper eyes.

"And you are...?" Theodore said.

"Call me Whisper." It spoke with a woman’s voice, thick and amused. "I've a message for you."

That was the same name as the raven that helped the prince escape the castle. But it couldn't be the same one. Perceval said that raven was killed. Something else was strange. There were wards all over the palace to stop creatures and magic from entering. How did this feral get here?

"Who is this message from?" Theodore said.

"That is a secret. Suffice to say, it is someone with enough power and influence to make the message worth your consideration." Whisper fluttered down and landed in the open palm of the statue. "Word has it that you despise your position as Ranger Deputy. How would it suit you to choose a new job for yourself? Perhaps one among the University?"

The endless parade of needy creatures had not given any love for his job. It unnerved Theodore to be told his private thoughts. "Where did you hear this?"

"Various eyes and ears," she said. "The details are unimportant. What matters is that it appears the king has put his faith in you to return his wayward son." Her eyes focused tight on him. "We would prefer for something else to occur. "

Theodore creased his brow. "Who's we? What are you suggesting?"

"The king has served long and well, but his son is ill-fit to rule. It is time for new blood to take the throne. The season is ripe for change. Ensure the prince does not return and you will be well-rewarded in the new regime."

He held back his gasp. "You are asking me to commit treason."

Whisper cocked her head. "Would it be the first time?"

Theodore felt a cold sweat. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, don't be dull." She preened herself. "Anyway. Suppose the prince cannot be found? Who can be blamed? He was always willful. There is only so much you or any of the guard can do. Nothing anyone could do, really. Perhaps it was for the best. The new ruler stands to do more for Laien than old Stonewall or his boy ever could. Seems to me the Mother of Magic fated this all from the start."

This usurper was a manipulator trying to seize the throne. Disgust welled up inside Theodore, but so did temptation. It would be as easy as the raven said to do nothing. The prince did not want to be found, and Theodore had already compromised his ethics. All he needed to do was sit back and everything would work out for him.

Except that Oboe was in trouble. She faced imprisonment or worse. That was the one thing that burned brightest in his mind amid all the confusion. Oboe needed help and there was only one way to save her: Bring the prince home. He could impose a royal pardon and cancel the trial. That was the answer he was looking for. He shook his head, ashamed of even considering the alternative.

"I won't be part of your schemes!" Theodore took a swipe at the bird, who flew out of range without effort.

"Tsk. Such loyalty could be better placed!" Whisper circled overhead. "A word of warning: The new order is coming, with or without you! A position of prestige and comfort awaits should you comply. If not, we know where to find you."

The raven rose into the air and vanished past the rooftops and archways of the palace. Were those last words a threat? It did not matter. The 'offer' was beyond consideration. Theodore told himself that any individual who conspired from the shadows did not deserve to rule. Whoever Whisper served, they were wise to remain anonymous. If there was any evidence he could have reported it to the king.

This was just another wrinkle in the growing task ahead. Theodore needed to find the prince, and the only person who could help was locked in a cell.


	18. Episode 4 Chapter 18

Theodore descended the stairs and stepped into the chill of the city dungeon. It was a vast complex of iron hidden beneath the capital's cobblestone streets. The entrance was bare, occupied by a few metal stools. This was the colder face of the government he served.

"Hello?" Theodore said, approaching the office window.

The silhouette of a clerk moved, obscured behind a pane of barred and tinted glass. Theodore waved to try and get their attention.

"Knight Detective Whitechain sent for me," he said. 

There was some indiscernible muffled speaking. He or she seemed irritated.

"What?" Theodore said.

There was harsher muffled speaking. Theodore craned his ear to hear but it was no good.

"It's about an interrogation," Theodore said.

No reaction.

"Name of the inmate is Oboe. Last name..." Did Oboe have a last name? He knew gnomes did. Why hadn't he ever thought to ask? "Unknown."

The clerk walked away. Theodore waited, and waited, and began to suspect he had been abandoned. He squinted into the tinted glass and was startled by a loud, buzzing click. A vault door groaned open to reveal Conrad Whitechain.

"Ah! Theodore. There you are." He grabbed his hand to shake. "Thank you for agreeing to assist. Everything is in order. The suspect is ready to be questioned."

Theodore followed, the iron door thundering shut behind them. Somewhere deep in the complex a person was screaming and yelling at the top of their lungs. The voice echoed down the cramped corridors of the prison.

Conrad smirked at Theodore's unease. "The inmates are rowdy in the morning."

They passed rows of unoccupied cells. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this place," Theodore said. "It's so... alienating."

"Justice demands a price," Conrad said. "We cannot coddle criminals. An enemy of order is a threat to society and they will be treated as such."

Theodore might've agreed a few days ago. He wondered if he was destined to occupy one of these cells. "Have you learned anything?" He hoped he did not sound as anxious as he felt.

"Very little," Conrad said. "She freely admits to the crime but refuses to tell us how to find the prince."

"Have you had to use… force?" Theodore said.

"Torture is forbidden by the treaties, and I find it shameful, but I suspect the king will lift the ban if things turn desperate enough."

Theodore worried. "We don’t need it. She seemed sweet tempered."

"Don’t be fooled by an innocent façade," Conrad said. "Keep in mind what she did. You cannot know anyone’s true character until they have been tested by danger and temptation. That’s something your father taught me."

This again. Theodore ground his teeth. "I believe you learned more from him than I ever did."

Conrad chuckled. "Well, maybe I just had the ears to listen." He looked up at the overhead lights and his eyes filled with memory. "I failed Advanced Knight Training my first time through. Came close to quitting. I was weaker than the other cadets. That was a fact." He gave Theodore a vulnerable look. "Sir Grayweather encouraged me to keep trying. Said he had a son like me. Saw the same potential in both of us. Now I see that for myself."

Theodore let out a snort. "My father was a stubborn fool. I'm not cut out for this sort of work. It was a mistake for them to make me Ranger Deputy."

"Yet here we are." Conrad opened his arms. "Every report I've heard says you've done better in the job than any deputy in decades. I see him in you. This suits you, whether you want to admit it or not."

Theodore held his tongue. He loathed to be compared to his father, but there was no point in arguing. The detective could believe whatever he wanted so long as it helped him save Oboe. If Theodore couldn't escape his father's shadow, he might as well use it to his advantage.

"I suppose you're right," Theodore said.

Conrad grinned. "Of course I am." He said as he unlocked the way forward.


	19. Episode 4 Chapter 19

Oboe wondered how many hundreds of years had passed since she was first sealed away. There was no way to see the sun or the passage of seasons from inside her dim, dank cell. Every moment she spent contemplating her mistakes felt like an eternity. She kept wishing a rat or spider would come by so she could have someone to talk to. Any distraction from her guilt and loneliness would be wonderful.

She sighed, lying face down on the grimy floor. She told herself not to cry.

The gears and clockwork of her cell door spun to life. Was this real? She tried to rise on shaky legs, but her chains kept her from standing. They were alive with magic, draining her brute strength and stopping her from transforming. She watched as a familiar face stepped through the doorway.

"Theo!!"

Another human followed him inside and sealed the door behind them. It was the mean little knight that arrested her. Conrad was his name? He gave Theo a funny look.

"She seems to be familiar with you."

Theo's eyes darted between Oboe and Conrad. "I’ve worked with her in the past."

"I see. So, she has a record."

Theo clenched a hand in that way he did when he was scared. "She’s never caused trouble before. She’s been an asset to the community."

Those words would've warmed Oboe’s heart if it weren’t sick with guilt.

The knight searched a pocket inside his coat. "A perfect record doesn't mean much once it's broken. Integrity is what makes a citizen." He produced a vial from his belt. Something bright was trapped inside. He popped the cork and a will o’ wisp escaped, darting to the ceiling. It beamed a blinding light in Oboe's eyes. "We'll see how much she has."

"Faun," the knight intoned. He was obscured by the light. "Your trial is tomorrow. Enchantment of the royal family is a grave crime, punishable by death. I don't want that for you. It took a great deal of character to come forward, more than I see in most fey. My offer still stands. Tell us how to find the prince and I can bargain for a stay of execution."

"I don’t know!" she said, looking away. "He flew away!"

Theo’s face peeked through the light. "You need to remember. The direction he flew in, a land mark, something. Please Oboe. You need to give us something to narrow the search. They are going to kill you unless you help us find the Prince."

Oboe was confused. Why was Theo helping them? "Percy doesn’t want to come back!" She said. "Theo, you can't make him! You promised!"

The knight turned. "What does she mean by that?"

"I don’t know," Theo said. Oboe realized her mistake.

"I’m the one who broke the law," she said. "You’re not going to punish him just cause I’m bad!"

"That's not what's going to happen," Theo said. "He just needs to go back to his duties, then everything can be okay."

Oboe felt betrayed. This isn't what Theo promised to do. "No! It's not okay!" She pulled against her chains, growing angry. "He'll be sad if he comes back! I won't help you! I'd rather die!!"

Conrad whistled and the will o’ wisp returned to its bottle. "You seem to think you’re doing something good by helping the prince escape. Let me give you a reality check."

The knight fit a chainmail glove over his right hand. Reaching into a coat pocket, he produced a small ivory box. He opened it with care. Inside there was a crystal egg with a dream burning bright inside.


	20. Episode 4 Chapter 20

"What is that?" Theodore said.

"A nightmare," Conrad said, holding the egg up with his armored hand. "More than that, I suppose. Normally, a fairy dream can be experienced only once before it fades to nothing. This one is different. It belonged to Counselor Goldsun the fourth. It is one-hundred and ten years old."

Theodore did the math. "That means it's as old as the Redsea Revolt."

"Exactly," Conrad said. He spun the egg on its cup and box lit up. A whirlwind howled out of it, and the jail filled with ghosts. Oboe twisted on the floor, startled, as the cell was transformed into an echo of the royal palace. A war room filled with men in strange but fine clothes, speaking in muffled whispers.

Theodore reached out, fascinated. His hand passed through them. "Illusions."

"Magic projections," Conrad said. "This dream is a living memory of what happened the last time an heir disappeared."

The door burst inward. Soldiers poured into the room like smoke. Their shields bore the sigil of a red tidal wave. The ghosts panicked, trying to flee. Oboe yelped as she watched a sword carve through, spraying blood colored ash into the air.

The scene gave way to fire. The city streets of the capital, burning gold in the black night. Wails and screams sounded in the distance, while smoky knights stormed the streets and cut through militiamen, women and children. Their bodies slumped to the ground beside Oboe.

"I don't like this," she said. "Why are you making me look at this?!"

"The king was dead," Conrad said. "The heir was gone. For six months Laien was consumed by civil war. The throne was empty, and the ambitious fought for control."

The vision shifted. Bodies swung from gallows erected in the scorched streets. Carts heavy with the dead were hauled away on creaking wheels, while phantoms in ragged clothes hammered and laid bricks to rebuild.

"The Stonewall Militia restored order," Conrad said. "But only after many died in the fighting." The Knight Detective stopped the egg from spinning with a finger. The projections shrank back into the dream, and they stood again in the dungeon. "Counselor Goldsun was haunted by this nightmare for decades, until he paid to have it surgically removed. But that didn't change the reality of what happened." Conrad took off his hat. "Oboe, I don't want to risk this happening again. Help us find the prince so it doesn't."

Oboe was quiet. She stared at him with pursed lips, her eyes fierce. "A bunch of humans fought a long time ago. You want Percy to come back so they don't fight again. That's not fair. It's not Percy's fault if humans fight! Percy doesn't want to be king!"

"Oboe, wait," Theodore said. She was being hasty. "The Knight Detective has a point. A lot of people could get hurt. We should consider what's best for everyone. Please, you need to help us find the prince."

"No!" Oboe kicked against her chains. "This is stupid! Percy deserves to live free! Don’t you think that, Theo?! Why are you helping this guy??"

Theodore tightened his fingers. The gallows were still fresh in his mind. "If you don't help, you're going to be executed!"

"I don't care!" Oboe said. "Percy is my friend! You can't just take his happiness away! It's not right! Humans can figure it out without him!"

Conrad growled. "If you are so intent on dying then be our guest! We will find the prince, with or without you." He turned to Theodore. "Let’s go. There’s no reasoning with this beast."

Theodore lingered as Conrad opened the cell door. Oboe looked away, her face stiff and angry. She was right, but so was Conrad. He tried to find the right words to convince her, to save her. She didn't deserve to die. It wasn't fair.

"Come on!" Conrad said.


	21. Episode 4 Chapter 21

Theodore was blinded by harsh daylight as he emerged from the dungeon with Conrad.

"What are you going to do with her now?" Theodore asked.

Conrad massaged his wrists. "She's given us no choice. If she won't budge then her case will go to trial. It will be a waste of time, though. Illegal enchantment on royalty? Refusing to help us locate the victim? There isn't a Justice serving in the court who would settle for less than a death sentence."

No. There had to be another option. Theodore wracked his memory for loopholes.

"There's no evidence she's done anything. We still haven't found the boy. The spell can be undone."

Conrad gave him a skeptical look. "She's given a full confession, Grayweather. There's no room for argument. The heir could be dead for all we know and she's all we have to blame."

Theodore wanted to say that he was the one to blame. Oboe warned him this might happen and he chose to ignore her. This was his fault.

"She doesn't deserve this. She would never hurt anyone. The prince must have forced her." Those were the words he settled on.

"Perhaps you've been living among wild creatures for too long," Conrad said. "Do not forget the purpose of your role. The Ranger Deputy is meant to placate and keep the creature population under control. I understand you have history with this fairy but don't let that blind you. They aren't human. A creature can be your friend, but tempt them with enough and they show you how wild they really are."

Theodore felt a spark of anger but said nothing. He was already too close to playing his hand. Conrad studied his face. His silence must have given something away.

"Forgive me," Conrad said. "I don’t mean to imply you are naïve. You are good at your job and perhaps that means caring more for magic creatures than is normally wise. I'm grateful for everything you've done and am counting on your continued support."

Something clicked in Theodore's mind. "You asked the king to task me with helping."

Conrad nodded. "I’d like you to head the search party with me." He looked away. "I think we’d work well together."

Theodore hesitated. "No." The prince would flee if confronted by a party of armed knights. What Theodore needed was to talk to the him one on one. That was his best shot at persuading him.

"I work better alone. I will do an independent search."

The Knight Detective raised an eyebrow. "I don’t see the benefit of that. My team will be far more effective if we have access to your expertise."

"No. I can’t." Theodore struggled to find a more concrete excuse. "I’m going to do this my way."

Conrad looked hurt. "I suppose I can't force you." He reached into his coat and retrieved the tracking device he had used in the valley. "Then take this. I’ve had more aura trackers made up from hair samples. It should help, but only if you can find where he has been recently. If you can manage that, it will conjure a visualization of the direction he went."

Theodore took the device with some relief. It was handheld with protruding antennae and a complicated array of switches and buttons. "Thank you." Perhaps there was hope after all.

"Good luck," Conrad said. "We’ll both need it."


	22. Episode 4 Chapter 22

Theodore adjusted the dials and levers on Conrad’s tracking tool. It buzzed and crackled in a way that was as inscrutable as it was unhelpful. Perhaps so much time had passed that there was no trace left, or perhaps Theodore had no idea how the contraption worked.

He made useless circles through the same groves and trails. How much time was left? He jabbed at the buttons and worried about Oboe. This was the only tool he had to locate the prince and it hadn't told him a damned thing. Theodore threw the device onto the ground and buried his face in his hands.

"Hey mister. You dropped this."

Theodore looked up to see a shadow child: a short, smiling silhouette made of a wispy ink thick smoke. He was holding up the tracking tool. Theodore sighed and took it.

"Thank you."

The little ghast leaned forward, staring at Theodore's badge. "You're the Ranger Deputy, right?"

Theodore tensed. "Er, yes but-"

The shadow child zipped into the air, floating over the treetops.

"HEY EVERYONE!" He yelled as loud as he could. "I FOUND HIM! HE'S OVER HERE!"

The ground shook. A stampede of creatures flooded into the clearing from every direction. Fairies, ghasts and ferals of all shapes and sizes tore through the foliage and climbed over each other to surround Theodore while all talking at the same time.

"There you are!" "Where have you been??" "I don't know how to file my taxes!" "Can you help me gather food for winter?" "I need to report a crime!" "Are you going to do something about all these knights roaming around?" "My kids won't listen to me!" "Help!!" "What's going on? Why is everyone so excited?"

Theodore splayed his arms. "Stop! Stop! STOP!"

The crowd, to his surprise, went quiet. They stared, giving them their full attention. It took Theodore a moment to gather himself.

"I'm sorry. I can't help any of you right now. I'm in the middle of a crisis."

The creatures exchanged a murmur of concern.

"What kind of crisis?" A fox said.

"Do you need help?" A gargoyle said.

Theodore was taken off guard. "You want to help me?"

"Why wouldn't we help you?" A troll said.

"You're the first Deputy who's helped us do things at all!" A goose said.

A pooka hopped forward. "The old ones just yelled a lot and put creatures in jail. You actually care about making things better. It's like you're one of us."

Pip the magpie swooped down to perch on his shoulder. "There's a crisis, yeah? Only fair we help too."

"What's going on??" A skeleton grabbed Theodore by the shoulders and shook him. "Are you in trouble? Is there something we can do??"

This was not what Theodore expected. The creatures looked so anxious to help him. He didn't know what to say.

"...I need to find someone." He wasn't sure how much was safe to share. "It's on King's orders."

The troll let out a low whistle. "Ooo. King's orders. That's the biggest of the humans."

"If I don't find this person, my assistant Oboe will be executed," Theodore said.

"We'll help you look!" There was a murmur of agreement. "Yeah!!" "That way it's fair."

"Don't any of you dare help!"

Fern Hardroot barged her way through the crowd, pushing and shoving. The creatures backed away to let her through.

"That faun is not worth saving!" She said. "Let the humans execute her! She's wicked and always has been!"

A sylph tried to hush her. "Fern! Don't! We aren't supposed to talk about that with the humans!"

"Shut up!" She said. "He needs to hear this!"

Theodore wrinkled his brow. "What are you talking about?"

She smirked. "This isn't the first time that little assistant of yours has gone wicked. She was banished from the Fairy Circle years ago for the same crime: transforming a human!"

The crowd went silent.

"Is that true?" Theodore asked them.

The fairies present, gnomes, and pooka and sylph, all looked nervous. A wood nymph decided to speak up.

"The Fair Lady shows mercy sometimes. Rather than turn a wicked fey over to humans to be killed, we are made to keep the secret so The Lady can assign a gentler punishment."

"That doeling is supposed to be shunned," Fern said. "That is her penance. Instead, she wormed her way into your employ and forced us to acknowledge her. Now she has struck again! I saw it with my own eyes. A twice wicked fairy should not be saved! Let the humans kill her!"

This was a lot for Theodore to take in, yet it rang true. It explained Oboe's guilt. "Wait. You saw it? You saw her transform a human the other day?"

"Yes, that's right! I can testify to her sins!"

"Then you can help!" Theodore said. "Where did the prince go? Can you help me find him? Please!"

Fern's smug grin puckered into a sneer. "Are you listening to me?! Do you mean to play favorites, Deputy?" She jabbed Theodore in the chest. "Just this week you forced me to undo an enchantment that I needed to live! Now you want my help to spare a criminal!"

Theodore winced. She was right. He meant to skirt the law to save someone he cared about.

The troll stepped in and pushed Fern back. "Back off," he said. "The Deputy knows what he's doing."

Fern glared. "And what makes you so sure?"

"I was a Red Cap." He folded his arms. "Didn't think I had a choice: Law said I was wicked. Couldn't get work. Humans wanted me dead." He put a hand on Theodore's head. "Then this guy comes along. Gives me a chance. Undid me being wicked. Got me a work visa and everything."

"Then he's a fool who likes trusting scum," Fern said. "Human justice is a sham! Bending the rules whenever they like! I hate it!"

"Laws ain't perfect and neither are we," the skeleton said. "Sometimes you need a head filled with good sense of anything. This human's been good to us. I know I can trust him!"

The creatures cheered and jostled Theodore lovingly. He didn't know what to say. The resentment he felt toward his job melted. The creatures appreciated him in a way that made the weird direction of his life feel worthwhile.

Fern spat. "You're all fools! Trusting a human, as if he knew more than our Fair Lady? You make me sick."

A gnome in mouse furs marched out from under the troll. "Forget the crone!" He said. "I saw what happened too! Let me help!"

"You did?" Theodore bent down. "Where? Can you show me?"

The gnome motioned for Theodore to follow and scampered off. The whole menagerie of creatures went with Theodore, leaving Fern behind to shout and shriek.

"Traitors! Worms! Vile little weeds!" She stomped her feet. "I will have justice! Proper justice! Blood and teeth! Wait and see! I'll tell the Fair Lady of this! Do you hear me?!"


	23. Epiosde 4 Chapter 23

Theodore tried to keep up as the gnome cut across trails, bounding on all fours until they arrived at a stony clearing. The gnome hoped onto his feet and marched circles around a pile of clothes Theodore recognized: It was the prince's silk doublet.

"Happened right here," The gnome said. "Boy poofed into a bird. A hay colored hawk with a red tail. Didn't stay long, though."

"Did you see where he went?" Theodore said.

The gnome gestured in a vague Northerly direction. "Flew off thatta way."

"Oh. Is that who you're looking for?" Pip said, swooping down to perch in the antlers of a white deer. "I think I met that guy. Had a lot of questions about how to be a bird. I figured he was just forgetful. Happens to the best of us."

"You saw him?!" Theodore could not believe his luck. "Can you find him again?"

"Maybe," Pip said. "He couldn't have gotten far. It was past the downs in the Upside Hills."

That was on the outskirts of the Whirlwood. If the prince made a break for the border, there might be no finding him.

"I need to get there as soon as possible," he said. "Can you guide me?"

"Sure!" Pip said. "You found my eggs, did my wife and I a solid. But I’m not waiting around for your stubby little groundling legs to follow me." He took flight. "SHELLY!"

"Shelly?"

The sky darkened. Something huge moved overhead. Before Theodore had a chance to wonder, a giant pair of talons clamped around him. A huge Roc bird, the size of house, lifted him off the ground with several thundering wing flaps.

"This is my wife, Shelly!" Pip said. "Introduce yourself, Shelly."

The roc let out a guttural, earth shaking scream that made Theodore fear for his life.

"Shelly says hello."

"Charmed!" Theodore said, trying not to faint.

"Good, great." Pip climbed higher into the air." We're all properly introduced! Let’s go. Darling, you follow me okay?"

Shelly let loose with another world-ending shriek, which somehow failed to deafen Theodore. He was given no time to recover. Shelly yanked him skyward. The ground disappeared, swallowed by the woodland canopy as he was lifted high and higher into the air. Theodore discovered entirely new ways to scream. It was all he could do to hang on.

The craggy peaks of the Upside Hills mountain range came into view around the time Theodore became acrophobic. Shelly pumped her wings to slow herself. She dumped Theodore onto a cloud-kissed plateau and fluttered to find a perch. Theodore clung to the ground in a crumpled heap and pip landed on top of him.

"Okay, yeah. It was around this place I saw him last. Probably." Pip gave Theodore a gentle peck to get his attention. "Provided nothing ate him."

The Ranger Deputy unfolded himself to stand on shaky knees and shook away the vertigo. Conrad's tracking device fell from his belt and lip up.

"What's this...?" Theodore said, picking it back off the ground.

He flipped a switch and antennae began oscillating. It let out a loud ping. A ping had to be a good thing, right? A few more button presses and a faint orange aura appeared, hanging in the air and trailing down the mountain slopes. It was tracking the prince.

"Mother of magic," he said. "I think I have a chance now."


	24. Episode 4 Chapter 24

Theodore stalked after the aura trail, dropping and climbing along descending ledges. The air was thin and smelled of clay and fresh rain. Far below, a waterfall poured into the valley to form the mouth of the river Wander. The Upside Hills offered a view of the whole valley. From here, he could see the city and the Whirlwood side by side. The capital was so small and dense compared to the sprawl of wilderness that seemed to swallow it.

It took some productive hours of hiking and scaling to zero in on Perceval's location. Then, without warning, the tool shut itself off. Theodore panicked, smashing the buttons and dials to try and activate it again.

He looked up to see a stunted tree struggling to grow out of a rocky cliffside. Among the branches there was a gold-yellow hawk, swearing as it tried to knit sticks and twigs into a nest.

"Devil damn it!" He spat out a limp sprig. "How do they do this without hands?!"

Theodore approached. "Good afternoon, your grace."

The hawk froze. He shot a glance back, stiffened, and tried to play it casual. He cleared his throat.

"CAW. Erm. CAAAAW."

"Very convincing," Theodore said.

"Go away," he said. "You have mistaken me for someone who is not a bird."

Theodore waved the aura tracker. "I know it’s you, Percy."

Sighing, the prince lowered his head. "What do you want?"

"You flew off." Theodore said. "The plan was we'd help you escape, hands intact. Instead, you talked my partner into casting an illegal enchantment on you."

"Sorry." He broke eye contact. "...You took a big risk helping me. I didn't like putting you both in danger. I didn't like waiting around to get caught. All I wanted was a new life. A free life. One where I don't have to worry about anyone, and nobody has to worry about me."

Theodore folded his arms. "And how is this new life treating you?"

"Fine!" The prince said too quickly. "It's been great! Perfect! It's..." He sagged. "Well. Hunting is a lot harder than you'd think. Prey is real fast, and half of it can talk. So, I've been having trouble. It's okay, though! I found... there was some carrion." He paused. "That was an experience."

Theodore looked over the pitiful excuse for a nest. "Are you expecting eggs? Should I tell the king he's going to be a grandfather?"

"What? No!" Perceval knocked the mess out of the tree with his beak, sending it tumbling down the cliff. "I just... I thought if I'm committing to this bird thing, I should learn it, alright? Give me a break. Oboe gave me this chance. I asked for it. I want to take it seriously."

He didn't know. Theodore supposed there was no way he could've known what happened after he left. "Percy." Theodore steeled himself. "Oboe's in trouble. Conrad captured her. She's being held in the dungeons for enchanting you."

His pupils shrank to pins. "What?"

"You need to come back," Theodore said. "You need to give her a royal pardon before she stands trial."

Perceval fell quiet. The wind howled.

"But..." His beak hung open. "I can't go back. If I go back, they'll will never let me go again. Father will tighten the leash, triple the guard. I won't be able to piss without three sets of eyes on me." He shuttered, his feathers ruffling. "They'll crown me. And then I'll be trapped for the rest of my life."

Theodore's throat was dry. He remembered his father planning what knight order he would join. He remembered how helpless he felt, forced into lessons day after day to learn to become something he didn't want to be. He knew exactly how the prince felt, and he hated that he needed to tell him to do anything but fly away.

"Percy," Theodore said. "She committed a crime for you. If you don't come back, they're going to kill her."

"I..." The prince stared out into the endless horizon. "But... I'm free. I'm finally free. I've wanted this so long, but..."

A black shape swooped between them, beating its feathered wings to light onto a branch beside Perceval. "Forgive the wait, your grace." She said. Theodore's eyes widened as he recognized the honeyed voice of Whisper. "I was taking care of some unfinished business."


	25. Episode 4 Chapter 25

The raven tilted an eye toward Theodore. "I see you have a visitor."

"Yes." Perceval stood straighter. "Whisper, this is Theo. He's the Ranger Deputy. Theo, this is Whisper. She's the friend I told you about. She helped me escape the castle."

"We've met." Theodore grit his teeth. "You need to stay away from her! Whisper is part of a conspiracy to seize control of the throne!"

"I know," the prince said.

Theodore did a double take. "What?"

Whisper chuckled. "My friends are interested in the kingdom, and this young man is not. This arrangement is beneficial for everyone."

"That's not true!" Theodore said. "Percy, if you leave, there's going be bloodshed! Just like the Redsea Revolt! People are going to get hurt, not just Oboe!"

"There will be no need of violence if things proceed as planned." Whisper leaned closer to the prince. "Are you certain you trust this man? This morning I saw him at the palace. The king has told him to find you. I asked him to give up this quest, yet here he stands."

Perceval fanned his tail feathers. "Is that true?"

"I..." Theodore felt the situation slipping away from him. "Yes. The king ordered me to find you, but that's not why I'm here. Oboe is going to die unless you help her!"

"There it is," Whisper said. "With that in mind, child, I have news. The knight Detective has gotten wind of your location. He is leading a team up the mountain as we speak."

"What??" Perceval said, the tree branch bobbing under him. "How?! We're in the middle of nowhere!"

"Were I to guess..." Whisper stared at Theodore. "I would say someone told them where to look."

"Theo, did you do this?!" Perceval said.

"No!" Theodore wanted to strangle Whisper. "I came alone! I just want to talk!"

The prince's gaze wavered. Theodore couldn't tell whether Perceval believed him. He opened his wings. "We need to leave!"

"Wait!" Theodore said. "What about Oboe?! You can't go! They'll execute her!"

Perceval froze.

"What is it you are proposing this young man do?" Whisper said. "Return home to his father, penitent? Serve out his time as king, miserable for the rest of his days? For what? To save the life of a silly little faun? What nonsense."

"But... She's my friend," Perceval said.

"Child, how long have you known this 'Oboe'?" Whisper craned her neck. "A few days? Is her happiness worth trading for your own? Surely she knew the risks. It would be better not to squander her sacrifice."

"You pushed her to enchant you!" Theodore said. "She was in tears! She didn't want to, and you forced her!"

"I..."

Whisper's voice was acid. "If she didn't want to, then she wouldn't have. That is not his responsibility."

"Stop!" The prince spread his wings wide. "Just stop! I need to think!"

"There isn't time," Whisper said. "With every word this man shames you. Manipulates you. His pet is in danger, so he's turned against you. He admitted as much himself. He's brought your father's thugs to cage you."

The lump of anger in Theodore's throat turned to fear. "Percy." He tried to look the prince in the eyes, but his were locked on the sky. Theodore needed the right words. "I get it. I know why you want to run. I've been there. I am there. I never wanted this job. I never wanted to be a knight. But it's about more than just me. It's hard, but what I do matters to the creatures. I have a responsibility to do right by them. Just like you. Doing that feels right. And..." The creatures of the Whirlwood filled his mind. He remembered their gratitude and his heart warmed in a way that surprised him. "That's enough for me."

The prince was still.

"So... what?" He said. "I go home? Work hard? Be a good king? Hope I start to care?"

Theodore hung his head. "If it's not enough for you, then do it for Oboe. Please." He tightened his fist. "I don't want to lose her."

"Enough!" Whisper said. "They're here! Look!"

The prince's head swiveled. In the distance, a team of hooded knights were scaling the mountain path. Perceval bristled.

"You must choose, child," Whisper said, launching herself into the air. "They are here to take you. Come with me and live free, or be chained like this wretch. I will wait no longer!"

He looked at Theodore, the pain clear in his face. "I'm sorry," he said, and followed the raven past the edge of the cliff.

"No!" Theodore said. "You can't!" He wrenched the dials on the aura tracker, and sparked a new magical trail which ribboned through the air after the prince. He chased after them as close as the cliffs allowed.

The pursuit did not go unnoticed. Whisper dove into him, transforming in midair into a nanny goat. With one crushing headbutt to the chest, she knocked Theodore off his feet and sent aura tracker tumbling out of his hand.

"Y-you're a fairy...!" Theodore said with a wheeze.

"Grab it!" Whisper yelled into the sky. The prince swooped down to snatch the machine, and dropped it past the edge of the cliff. It fell, spinning like a pinwheel until it smashed against rocks far below. Whisper leaned over Theodore, with the smuggest face a goat could manage.

"You made the wrong call, Grayweather."

She snapped back into a raven's form. Theodore stumbled, trying to get back on his feet, and watched, helpless, as Whisper and the prince flew beyond his reach. The prince looked back just once. Theodore collapsed onto his knees. A wail escaped his lips and ugly tears streamed down his face.


	26. Episode 4 Chapter 26

A knight does not snivel. That's what father told him. Theodore thought it was strange how small things like that stuck with him most. He told himself he didn't give a damn what his father thought, but when the tears welled up he found himself choking them back in shame.

His plan failed. Perceval was gone. The tracker was broken. Oboe's trial was tomorrow. She was going to die because he was an idiot and chose to help the prince.

Theodore wrenched the tears from his eyes. This wasn't over yet. He made a mistake thinking he could talk Perceval into returning. There was still a chance. If he found Shelly he could give chase. He'd lost a lot of ground, but the Knight Detective had his own aura tracker. Conrad had the manpower to force the prince to come home.

He ran back the way he came, shouting, hoping the roc was still nearby. "Shelly!!" He hurried along the narrow ledges and outcroppings. "Shelly! Where are you?!" He winded himself shouting. It had been too long and he had wandered too far. Theodore raced as the sky melted into a smoldering orange sunset. The search party was nearby. All he needed was to make sense of the winding trails and meet up with them.

Hurrying in that general direction, Theodore spotted an aura projection spring up from the Earth ahead of him. He moved to follow it, only for the trail to stretch out and come to a halt at his heart. Theodore heard the crunch of marching boots. Conrad Whitechain and a team of armed scouts rounded the corner. The Knights of the Hunt, dressed in camouflage.

"Conrad?" Theodore said. "Thank the Mother! How did you think to come here?"

The Knight Detective watched Theodore with one eye from beneath the brim of his hat. "I've been tracking you." He clicked off the device, and the aura projection faded.

"What? Why?" It did not matter. "Never mind. Listen, the prince should be nearby! I need your help!"

The scouts drew their swords. Theodore stepped back, only to find a steep drop behind him. Conrad gestured for his men to wait.

"Deputy, there are some things bothering me about our time together."

Theodore felt a sudden, suffocating dread. "What are you talking about?"

"I did not think much about it when you found the culprit so quickly, but I was troubled to learn how... familiar you were with her. A coincidence, I thought, if it had ended there."

Theodore said nothing.

"My men found Perceval's cloak in your office. It was drenched in his aura. Suddenly that long, fruitless night wandering the Whirl makes sense." Conrad adjusted his gloves. "Now I find you out on the farthest edge of the valley after refusing to join the search party."

"W-what are you saying, Conrad?"

The Knight Detective's stare pierced through him.

"You've been harboring the prince."

The scouts advanced on Theodore, blades in hand.

"Seize him," Conrad ordered. "With minimal maiming, if possible."

"This is ridiculous!" Theodore shouted, backing away along the ridge. It was a long way down if he fell. "The prince is out here! You need only look!"

"That may be the case." Conrad followed his men at a stroll as they spread out and leapt between ledges to corner Theodore. "This would be an excellent place to stash him here while we wasted our time in the Whirlwood. Do not worry, we will find him yet."

"You have no proof!" Theodore said, stalling.

"I do and worse. We have a witness."

"What?!"

"A feral raven. They saw you making deals with Feymire spies."

"That's a lie!" Theodore said, as if it made a difference.

"You've nowhere to go, Grayweather!" A scout said. "Surrender!"

Theodore tried to run before they closed in on him, but there was too many of them. His hands were twisted behind his back.

"Out of tricks, Deputy?" Conrad said. "I expected more from you."

Theodore wished he had something more, anything. He felt the sting of his tears return. How could he possibly save Oboe now, let alone himself?

Then it hit him. He did not have to do both. There was one last risky gambit he could play.

"You've caught me, detective," he said. "There's no use pretending anymore."

Conrad looked at him with surprise. "Then... you admit it?"

"I was offered power in exchange for making sure the prince did not return." This much was true. "I... blackmailed the faun to enchant the prince, to sabotage the crown." All he needed was to shift the blame. Maybe then Oboe had a chance to get out of this alive. If Whisper was going to make up a story, he might as well use it. "I abused my authority as Ranger Deputy to threaten her family. That's why she wouldn't help you. She couldn't."

Contempt flared across Conrad's face. "Why, Grayweather? You are the son of a national hero! Why would you turn against your country?!"

Theodore tried to think of a reason, and held back a bitter laugh.

"I told you: I hated my father."


	27. Episode 4 Chapter 27

Waiting was the worst part.

Theodore's wrists chafed in his shackles, fettered hand and foot to the dungeon floor. It was dark, humid, and there was nothing to distract him but the distant sound of cell doors slamming and the muffled shouts of prisoners. Every minute stretched on for an eternity. All he could do was worry, and wonder whether he had made the right choice. If Oboe's trial proceeded as scheduled then his plan was worthless. He was counting on the Knight Detective having the integrity to postpone Oboe's trial in favor of his own.

It was a relief to hear the door strain against its hinges. Conrad entered with a company of jailers.

"Hello," Theodore said. His throat was parched, making it hard to speak. "Any luck finding the prince?"

Conrad's glare told him there was not. The jailers moved to flank Theodore on either side.

"You are accused of breaking King's Law," Conrad said. "You will stand before a Justice of Laien for charges of grand treason, interference with royal investigation, conspiracy to usurp, and blackmail of citizen creatures. Rise and face the Mother's Judgment."

Theodore stood up and staggered under the weight of his chains. The jailers seized him. They unhooked from the floor but leashed to both of them. Conrad marched them out of the dungeons and into the streets, in plain view for anyone to see. Theodore clattered with every step as they passed under the shadow of the ancient courthouse. Theodore gazed up at its towering ramparts and parapets with an awe reserved for the guilty. The sight brought back memories of his elementary history lessons.

Before there was a King of Laien, before the first house was built, there was the courthouse. During the war against the Devil King, the human tribes banded together to construct a fortress to endure the coming of the ghast hordes. Stone was quarried from the Whirlwood to erect massive walls, which were used to shelter civilians from the battle.

When the hero Laien defeated the Devil King, with the aid of the fairy queen and the rebel ghasts, there came a need to negotiate the peace treaties. The fortress was converted into court of law so that all creatures might co-exist. Human refugees assembled homesteads near the court until a city took shape.

Many chambers of the court were bricked up, annexed, or renovated, but what remained was still a structure meant to endure the end of the world. It was a monument to order and the foundation of Theodore's country. His stomach curled into knots. It was an institution he admired. Today was the first time he had ever crossed into its hallowed halls, and it was a day he meant to proclaim himself its enemy.

The doors opened. Theodore was led down into Arbitration Pit number two. Knight Bailiffs stood at the cardinal exits, and jurors watched from a row of balconies above. The Justice stood at the front. A dignified elder woman in two toned black and white robes. She wielded hooped rods of silver and iron, one in each hand. It all felt so surreal to Theodore. It was not until he noticed Oboe that he felt awake.

"Theo?!" She descended the judgment bench, draped in iron chains twice the size of Theodore's. "You're locked up!! What's going on?! Why are you here??"

"You don't need to worry any longer," Conrad said. "We have this man under control."

Theodore smiled, and was wrenched towards the judgment bench. Oboe resisted as Knight Bailiffs tried to pull her away.

"I told them I did it! I turned Percy into a bird! They're gonna punish me like they're supposed to! You shouldn't be here! You're not supposed to be in trouble!"

The Justice banged her rods. "The fairy will be silent in the court! She has been dismissed!"

"No! I'm mad!!" Oboe yelled back. "Theo!! Tell me what's going on!"

"I thought I could get away with it," Theodore said, hoping to sound villainous. "Looks like you and your family will be okay after all."

"What??" She scrunched her face, confused. "Theo!! What are you talking about?!"

The Justice rose from her seat. "Bailiffs!"

Oboe's chains hummed with magic. A painful spark surged through the iron and made her cry out. "No!" She said, and fought to take a few halting steps before slumping to the floor. Theodore watched as the Bailiffs dragged her away, hoping that it would be the last time they would hurt her.

The Justice shook her head at the scene. "The Ranger Deputy will now present himself to the court."

Theodore took one shaky step after another to climb into the judgment bench. All eyes were on him. It was in that moment he faltered. He knew what he needed to do and he knew that it meant his death. There was no other choice but he was still afraid. There was still so much more he wanted out of life, so much he wanted to learn.

He thought of Oboe again. That was enough. He took one last deep, ragged breath and felt his fear harden into stone cold certainty.

"I'm guilty."


	28. Episode 4 Chapter 28

The trial was quick. Theodore had rehearsed his confession: He abused his office as Ranger Deputy to threaten the family of Oboe, a morally upstanding and respected member of the fairy community, in order to blackmail her into capturing and transforming Prince Perceval against her will. This was all part of a conspiracy to destabilize the throne, which the Knight Detectives should definitely investigate further. Theodore knew enough about law to highlight just how heinous his supposed crimes were. He was nervous at first, voice halting and cracking, but it became easy once he got going. By the end the eagerness with which he rattled off his violations earned him strange stares. He toned it down in order to cinch the conviction.

Oboe was pardoned. Theodore had to stop himself from smirking. He sobered when the Justice pronounced his sentence.

The Central Square guillotine was not often used. Public execution was reserved for treason, which was rare after the Redsea Revolt. The device was more historic landmark than regular part of the city's judicial system, but it was still kept sharp. A school field trip was winding down its lecture when Theodore was marched into the square to meet his end.

Whatever triumph Theodore felt drained away when he saw the blade. His throat clenched, picturing in his mind the sharp crescent dropping to cut through flesh and bone. A razor singing through the air to divide Theodore from his life. It was over. All that was left was for him to die. He inhaled, taking comfort in the fact that he'd chosen this.

The Knight Bailiffs yanked Theodore toward the guillotine, up onto the stage. He had drawn a reasonably large crowd of spectators. Conrad stood at the front of them, meeting him straight in the eye. Theodore laid his head onto the lunette before the knights could force him there. They locked him in place. The executioner gripped the release lever. Theodore closed his eyes.

There was a shout. Theodore opened to his eyes to see the executioner stumbling around the stage. A tawny red-tailed hawk thrashed and clawed at him as he flailed to get away. The knight toppled backwards off the platform trying to escape.

"Percy!?" Theodore shouted. More knights stormed up onto the stage with swords, and prince threw out his wings.

"Stop!" he said. "I am Perceval Stonewall, crowned prince of Laien! You will not harm this man!"

Conrad held his arm out to block his subordinates. "Stand down! It's true! It's him!"

"What are you doing here?!" Theodore said, astonished.

"Growing up," Perceval said. "I saw you turn yourself in. The more I thought about what you said, the angrier I was with myself." He turned back to face Conrad. "I'm done running! Release the faun and bring her here!"

Conrad searched the prince's eyes. Theodore wondered if he was good at judging the motives of birds. "Do as he says," he told his men. "She will still be detained at the court. Bring the fairy here!"

The knights scattered, and in short order Oboe was brought to the square without chains.

"Wh-what!?" She ran up to him only to be blocked by crossed halberds. She leaned to peek through them. "Percy?! What's going on??"

"Let her pass," Perceval said. The knights stepped aside, and she approached. "Oboe. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble. If you can, I need you to change me back."

She fought against tears. "I thought you wanted to escape? You're supposed to be free!"

"I thought so too." He shook his head. "But I realized that I've been selfish. I have a duty to fulfill."

Oboe shot a suspicious glance at Theodore before looking back. "But it's not what you WANT!"

He looked up toward the palace and sighed. "Oboe. Please. It's okay. Use your magic one more time."

Oboe was quiet, her expression in conflict. Hesitating, trembling, she reached out and touched the hawk. The magic flowed out of her, spreading across the hawk like tree roots. When the glow subsided, her hand rested on the cheek of the prince. The prince was human once more. He stood for everyone to see, naked. Theodore was dumbstruck by what he was seeing.

The crowd erupted into whoops of shock. Conrad took up the canvas meant to catch Theodore's severed head and blood, and gave it to the prince to drape himself in. 

Perceval took a moment to flex his fingers before looking at Oboe. Her face was dribbling with snot and tears.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for everything." He turned to face the crowd.

"Good people of Laien!" He projected. "I am Perceval Stonewall, heir to the throne! Let it be known that, as their prince, I burdened this fairy and this man with helping me to run from my responsibilities. So loyal were they that they were both prepared to die for my selfish wish. They have shown me what duty looks like! Therefore, I have returned and will submit myself to serving you all. Forgive me this indiscretion!"

The crowd cheered. Theodore supposed that the prince's public speaking lessons had been worthwhile after all.

Perceval approached the Knight Detective. "You need not worry. I will come quietly. I expect father will be furious with me. In the meantime, I want Theo and Oboe released."

"The Ranger Deputy has confessed to treason!" Conrad said.

"On my orders. I realize I have been selfish. No one needs to die for me today. I want all charges dropped for both of them."

"But--"

"I am your prince. I mean to make up for my mistake. Go over my head if you dare, but I will see to it that anything you do to them will be done to you once I am king."

Conrad curled his hands into fists. "Yes, your grace."

Bending down, Conrad regarded Theodore like a cowpie he was expected to handle. He pulled Theodore out of the lunette, and with the click of a key his shackles fell to the ground. He leaned down to whisper into Theodore's ear.

"This isn't over."


	29. Episode 4 Chapter 29

Oboe was confused by what happened and how. After days in dungeons, after admitting to all her wrongdoing, she was let go like nothing happened.

The humans were always so stuck on their rules and rituals. They spent hours yelling at her, questioning her, making her fill out paperwork. But then Percy decided everything was okay and that was enough for all the other humans to stop.

Oboe was let go. Theo was let go. The crowd wandered off. The knights walked away, taking Percy home to the castle. It didn't feel real. No one cared that everything was wrong.

"I can't believe we survived that," Theo said.

Oboe agreed, but said nothing. She did not feel like talking. Theo presented their papers to the gate guards and once again they were home in Whirlwood.

Theo tried again to break the silence. "Are you okay?"

Oboe just kept walking.

He looked uncomfortable. He searched for something else to say. "You've gotten bigger. Taller. Your horns have grown. It's because you enchanted the prince? It made you more powerful?"

"Yeah," she admitted. The shame hurt like an open wound.

"You reversed the enchantment," he said. "...Doesn't that mean you lost the Fates you gained from him?"

She twisted her fingers together. Theo was smart about a lot of things but dumb about how fairies worked. "His life has changed. That's what fairy magic wants. He chose a Fate. Undoing the spell doesn't matter now. He changed in a way that's deeper than magic."

"I see. I guess this turned out good for you then."

Oboe stopped. It took Theo a moment to notice.

"Theo..."Oboe said. "You made Percy come back. Why'd you do that?"

Theodore turned to look back at her. He seemed to struggle to answer. "There's... Well, there's a lot of reasons." He looked down. "...A big one is that I didn't want you to die."

She stomped her hoof. "That shouldn't matter! I did something wicked! It doesn't matter what the prince said. You can't treat me any different than the other fairies! It's not right!"

He grimaced. "You're not just any other fairy, Oboe! You're my friend!"

Oboe felt the old pain well up inside her and fill her whole body. She clutched her face and choked back tears. "I don't deserve to be your friend! I don't deserve to be anyone's friend! I'm awful! I'm wicked!"

"Stop it! That's not true!" Theo shouted.

"How do you know I didn't seek you out because I wanted to enchant you? How can you know I won't do it the future?"

"Because I know you." Theo said. "I trust you!"

He reached out to comfort her. She pulled away.

"Maybe you shouldn't! I'm supposed to control myself but I didn't! I enchanted a human! And..." She pulled at her mane. "It felt good. I felt wonderful! That means I'm wicked! Evil!"

"You're being ridiculous!" Theo said, trying to keep up as she retreated from him. "Everything's fixed now. You need to calm down!"

"I'm not ridiculous!!" she said. "Nothing is fixed! Percy has to go back to being miserable and I wasn't punished! Everything is wrong!" She threw a rock at him and missed.

Theo backed off, alarmed. Oboe's breathing was heavy, deliberate. She felt dirty, like a billion baths would never clean her. She'd broken her promise to grandmother and lost her chance to make up for it.

If the humans wouldn't punish her, she would have to go home.

"Theo. I can't be your assistant anymore."

"What?" He blinked. "Why?"

"Goodbye."

Oboe turned into a bird and, before Theo could stop her, she flew away.


End file.
